Seeking Experiences

Penultimate day in Deerfield Beach. I've purchased no material goods to bring on my return trip, not a cheap T-shirt or a coffee mug.  Nada.  Came for experiences and got experiences.  Met with a cousin who I've not seen in decades and with a friend who I've kept in touch with for many decades.  Visited my father's grave site, completing my Semi-Annual Project of visiting all family cemeteries.  Self-toured the Everglades.  Slept late.  Lounged at pool, jumping in a few short dips.  Walked a block to the beach, mostly sitting at the shore, but wading in twice.  Deerfield Beach differs from Downstate Delaware.  Smaller width.  The town or state built barrier rocks, presumably to avoid flooding.  Even the places we dined at had a uniqueness not readily accessible at home.  I know of no pâtisseries.  Here we had two.  The breakfast places were each a little different than where I would go at home, more in ambience than menu, though I am used to more extensive griddle options.  We don't really have small restaurants with seafood dominant menus, though our beer selections are a lot more varied.  Only ate at one large chain, and that to be with my dear friend, whose house I got to mostly tour, along with my cousin's home.  These are different, inside and outside, from mine, though admittedly I prefer mine as a place to live.  

The scale of the area is also part of the experience.  The shore runs for hundreds of miles.  The population may be among the largest suburban sprawls in America with massive housing developments, mid-rise condos on the beach blocks, and shopping centers spread out with shops catering to any imaginable whim, or even legitimate need.  Nothing seemed grimy. The Everglades followed a single road, but that road ran 38 miles, encompassing multiple habitats.  Yet the two visitor centers seemed far more compact than other National Parks I have visited.

There is also a Jewish presence, part obvious with Chabad style Menorahs prominent in many locations, though much hidden.  Synagogues come up on a list.  I didn't go to one this shabbos, none notable from the roads as I drove past.  Kosher restaurant before I head home, another experience difficult to duplicate.

And maybe the ultimate experience, shirtsleeve, beach weather in December.  Not something I'd want all the time.  I'd probably not really like living in one of the many housing developments of restricted access with rigid Home Owners Association Rules and fees.  As pleasant as the week has been, I still think I like my own norm better.