A straightforward, evenhanded review from a Floridian:
Hi, I'm 29 and have lived in Florida my whole life. Here's what this state is like:
Florida is
flat,
hot, tropical, with beaches wrapped around. It's mostly summertime here, with "cooler" months between November and March. Expect temperatures between 35-75 during that
time of the year, and it
will still get
pretty warm on some days.
Florida is home to some pretty
big colleges: USF, UNF, UCF, FSU, and UF, all of whom have about 30k or more students. The crowd you experience depends on where you go: city people in Tampa and Orlando, youngsters near campus areas,
Miami is Havana, Jacksonville is a
big beach town, and many small quiet places.
It does not have the mountainous terrain that other places have, Florida is best for beach and city life. There are many people here with college and some career opportunities, however, it does not have the seasonal, outdoorsy life that some enjoy in places like NC, NH, and CO. Floridians generally live slow here, it is not the fast-paced
Mid-Atlantic life that some like.