by Shelly M. SAGE member from 2010, mostly at SAGE Harlem. Shelly also volunteers at the center.

Hot sunny days are a welcome change from home in NYC.  Hot weather all the time, even now in October the average temp is 80’s. Good for the bones. Miami Beach was hot sand, cool blue water that not the same in New York. Funny didn’t see the one animal I was expecting was flamingos. Images were reflecting on the highway of the birds on the sound barriers to let you know where you are. And the other was so many palm trees. And only palm trees.  Had only four days’ vacation driving around the area from Miami and Sunny Isles and Ft Lauderdale. My last time in the state was in Melbourne with my mother’s Aunt and Uncle at their house.  Never got to the beach there. Experienced a spring training game for the NY Mets and the Florida Marlins.

Glorious scene of Miami beach with lifeguard shack

This is a picture of Miami Beach where we walked from the Ocean Drive through the park. Very hot fine sand that felt clean. Not as many shells or refuse. But hotter. After walking along the popular Ocean Drive with the other tourists we were back at the hotel with family for the wedding. This trip gave me a feeling of moving to this area like no other. A feeling of less stress, beautiful warm heat that felt good.  Love the wedding on the beach at the hotel was just a lovely, with perfect sun weather even at the end of the day.  Now I feel what my Grandmother felt, She also had travel many times to the Caribbean and Florida for fun times.

Popular Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.

Returning home was very reluctant to leave. The flight was very smooth and uneventful as always. Now I know how business travelers like to fly all over the world. Same routine can be dull and boring. But some cities are made for tourists which is Miami and the state of Florida. Glad I didn’t encounter any alligators or other reptiles. From now on any beach walking will remind me of South Beach.

This blog was developed during a six-week writing and blogging workshop at SAGE Harlem, led by Jenna McDavid, National Managing Coordinator of the Diverse Elders Coalition. Participants were taught the fundamentals of memoir writing, learned basic computer skills to type their blogs and upload images, and ultimately, published their blogs online.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.