Florida Impressions in Omicron Times

Leaving the New York bubble -- and Covid Anxiety Prison -- can give you a wider perspective of the times we are in and how people are managed in different locales. I may be exaggerating a bit, but it has become some form of house arrest. If they are trying to make people leave, it's working. Thankfully, I was able to bust out of this prison for a few days with my girlfriend between Christmas and New Year's to a place where people are living their lives.

Winter is always challenging but never this bad. This one has been the worst. Christmas with my family was canceled again. A new mayor -- who was supposed to be a beacon of hope and change -- plans to continue DeBlasio's onerous and ineffective mandates. No measure for those who have acquired natural immunity. No reprieve for those whose post-vaccination experience dissuaded them from taking additional shots.

If you want to have a "fully vaccinated" workforce, you can coerce those who will be compelled and then ditch the rest. It's like saying you only want to carry around quarters when you have three quarters, two dimes, and a nickel. You ditch the dimes and nickel, so you only have quarters, but there is overall less value.

Much like Governor Kathy Hochul, new Mayor Eric Adams is even considering stripping those not boosted of their "fully vaccinated" status, as he has kept DeBlasio's Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. Dr. Chokshi is just another corporate drug dealer -- oblivious or apathetic to the harm these policies can inflict on community health, childhood development, and the economy. I could easily see Chokshi joining the board of a major pharmaceutical company with the boost in profit he has helped secure during this time; then from there, maybe even the FDA as that merry-go-round goes.

My girlfriend Alex and I are daily contemplating our departure from New York as a home entirely. The debate has narrowed to Texas or Florida, with either offering the quintessential antithesis of pandemic PTSD. Pennsylvania was in consideration, but we don't like what we see happening in Philadelphia. We don't want to move to a place where the people are so complacent they let this horror happen again. We want a community and some like-minded people.

We have been trying to find a city in Florida to explore that is walkable. Neither of us is big on driving, but I likely will be again this year. Until we saw Tampa Aerial Media's Tampa 2021 video, we were stumped. The video featuring Tampa showed a lot of the Tampa Riverwalk, and it was so convincing we bought our tickets the next day.

Tampa was not a city on my radar at all. It was a place my high school best friend moved from and where Tom Brady moved to in recent years. It did not disappoint and had more to see than anticipated and very welcoming people. We would probably return to see St. Petersburg as well.

The first person we met was our Lyft driver from the Tampa International Airport. He casually asked about our flight and the delay we experienced and then remarked why he thought so many delays were happening. Immediately, I recognized that he was broaching the subject of pilots concerned about blood clots post-vaccination given their existing risk with frequent altitude changes. He also seemed to think that Omicron was a sign things were winding down based on its severity. The conversation expanded and was one you would not anticipate having with a driver in New York. Refreshing, to say the least. I enjoy talking to people willing to question.

The driver dropped us off at our reasonably priced Airbnb with a private pool and backyard garden. Our host gave us a tour and even a tasting of an edible cactus she had amidst a well-grown and managed garden. She mentioned that two of her newer neighbors across the street had recently moved from New York, the state losing more of its population last year than any other.

I realize it's common for New Yorkers to visit Florida. Even Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez was in Florida the same time we were there, but she went to Miami. I did not expect to run into a table of people from Brooklyn in the middle of a conversation at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company about the likability of Governor Ron DeSantis. But then we found ourselves agreeing that our governor is terrible, so bad she was not even elected. She merely assumed the office.

During the two full days we were in Tampa, we walked over 15 miles both days. We like walking a lot, but even trekking a similar distance to Rockaway Beach from our apartment felt more arduous. Yet, after two days of long walks, we felt refreshed, not even sore.

One of the locations featured in the Tampa video that we checked out on our trip was the Armature Works building and its extensive outdoor seating along the Hillsborough River connected to the Tampa Riverwalk.

Armature Works had an expansive set of eateries and bars. Even in the middle of the week, the inside was so packed we returned later in the evening only to still find a large crowd. This location is also where we encountered the most tourists, and a minority of people masked up while projecting to others that they should do the same. It was a momentary reminder of the New York Nanny State. Yet, walking outside, I saw a very diverse array of people enjoying the outdoors; some even dancing with joy. The energy was reminiscent of New York's pre-pandemic, now morphed into perpetual hysteria.

Returning to New York was difficult emotionally. For more than a decade, the excitement of taking a trip away accompanied relief upon returning. Now I only dread it. Thankfully, we have an upcoming trip to Dallas, Texas. And I look forward to reporting on it for you.