Nearly 15 years ago, I moved to a small town on Florida’s Space Coast, about three hours away from where I grew up in Miami.
I hadn’t planned to move out of the city forever, but I’ve since fallen in love with my quieter, slower pace of life. Fortunately, I’m not too far from where I grew up — and I’ve never stopped going back to Miami for visits a few times a year.
I don’t regret moving, and it turns out that living just a short drive from home comes with a lot of perks.
Leaving home helped me realize how much where I grew up has shaped me
At first, returning to Miami after having just moved away felt so different.
I’d been feeling pretty homesick, and I didn’t immediately embrace small-town living in my new slice of Florida. However, once I was back home, I realized I felt most like myself in Miami — something I doubt I’d ever have noticed if I had never left.
That said, moving away ultimately helped me better understand myself and how my values have been shaped.
For instance, I forget how much everyday can feel like a party in Miami until I go back, and then I see that lively city is where I get the perspective that life should be celebrated.
I’ve learned how to carry some parts of the city I love with me
I’ve realized that even though I’ve left Miami, I can carry some of my favorite parts of the city with me wherever I go — and that’s been really empowering.
For example, one of the things I miss most about Miami is its incredible Cuban food scene. I’ve yet to find anything as good where I live now, so I’ve learned how to make many of my favorite Cuban dishes at home.
With Cuban food being so accessible and affordable in Miami, I likely never would’ve learned how to cook any of it on my own if I still lived there.
And, whenever I’m back in Miami, I still always stop at all of my favorite restaurants that just can’t quite be replicated anywhere else.
The time I spend with loved ones feels even more special
All of my closest friends and some family members still live in Miami, so when I visit, I really get to spend a lot of time with whoever I’m staying with.
While I’m often sad that we don’t live close by and can’t see each other all the time, I probably spend more quality time with them now than I did when I lived there.
In some ways, it’s easier to see someone when it requires a bit of intentional planning, and you can’t just pop by each other’s homes anytime.
Returning home feels like going on vacation
Since I’m no longer a local, I get to see the city from a new perspective. I’ve loved experiencing the restaurants, nightlife, and beaches as visitors do — it’s truly an energetic and unique place.
I’ve noticed things that I didn’t even realize I missed, such as driving around specific parts of Miami. I get to see how things are changing, but even places that have been there my whole life somehow seem more novel to me now.
Miami is really special, and there really is no other place like it
Since I’ve moved away, I’ve become more appreciative of certain things back home, particularly the food and my friendships.
I feel really lucky to live just a short drive from the city I grew up in, which also happens to be a really fun place to visit. I’m aware that if home were a plane ride away, I definitely wouldn’t be able to visit as often.
When I’m there, I get to remember who I am and where I come from. However, I also get to see where I grew up in a new light, almost as if I were an outsider experiencing something for the first time.
I was never really proud of being from Miami when I lived there, but now that I’ve sort of seen it as a tourist, I have a newfound pride for where I’m from.
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