Miami is a pretty unique city.
For all its glamour, spandex and “supposablys,” most non-locals aren’t too sure what the “true Miami” is. They mistakenly believe it’s filled with endless nights of clubbing and drinking, only to wake up and do it all over again.
But the true Miami, the one that only us locals know, is something vastly different, and quite underrated.
Summers here in the Magic City are one of a kind. Tourists often flock to our palm tree laden territory in search of a weekend of sightseeing, beaches and neon t-shirts that read “ I ♡ Miami.” In reality, summers here are, dare I say, considerably relaxing. Since most residents are off from school or given summer leave at work, it appears that giving students and employees some days off make for a less stressed South Florida.
Less stressed Miami means more fun, more fun means great memories. The weather, albeit hot, has a unique charm to it. It’s only in the summer that we Miamians can tolerate the stifling humidity and the harsh, almost barbaric sun.
Summers in Miami mean soccer friendlies at Hard Rock Stadium, where we can see our football heroes up close. It means that Publix is probably offering a discount off those wonderful chicken subs; it means golden orange and pink-ish red sunsets at 8:00 pm, and above all, it means spending quality time with friends that have returned home to visit their old friends, oh and free coconut water.
In 1964, a duo of shaggy-haired California surfers took their handheld camera and went on a mission to hit up every surf spot in the world. They traveled near and far, to Timbuktu and back, mingling with the locals and learning about their cultures, all of that for a quick ride on what they thought were the perfect waves. In the end, they compiled their footage and made into one of the most iconic documentaries of all time dubbed, The Endless Summer.
In a lot of ways, living in Miami is like an endless summer – constantly chasing the sun without a care in the world. We don’t have seasons other than the off chance we get a cold front from up north and the only orange we see on trees are from the mangoes that ripen around this time.
That’s part of the reason why summers in Miami are so refreshing, it’s not only a place where you can come and live out your Miami Vice fantasies, it’s also quaint and intimate when it can be. You learn to appreciate the smaller moments, and hopefully, this summer is filled with an abundance of them.
