South Florida is truly a great place to be. The weather, the amenities, the people, and the culture are all very conducive to a very relaxing and uplifting lifestyle. Since its conception, South Florida has also been a place where many individuals come to escape the colder temperatures of their native home for a few months. Native South Floridians call these individuals Snowbirds. Snowbirds are fun to have around, and tourism is a large player in Miami’s economy. But there are great differences between people who live in Florida, and people who only come to visit for a couple of weeks or months out of the year.
Let’s take a look at the differences between these two groups of individuals:
1. One of the main things that can distinguish a local from a snowbird is the southern accent. This is something that can be spotted right away. Most locals from South Florida have at least some type of a southern accent. However, most of the snowbirds coming down to stay for a few months are from the north. Some may even have Canadian accents. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to tell these two groups apart, the accent could be a sure fire giveaway.
2. Another way that you can spot a snowbird in Florida is when they show up driving a large RV. Many snowbirds come down to Southwest Florida as the final destination on a road trip that sees them driving their big, frequently fancy RVs. This is a great way for them to stay in South Florida without spending too much on lodging, but it can occasionally make for even more clogged roads and uneasy parking in the winter.
3. A basic understanding of the local area is a quick way to tell a snowbird apart from a local as well. There are some things about the local culture that are well understood by South Florida locals, more so than tourists with a cursory knowledge of the area. It will be easy to see the differences in snowbirds and locals when it comes to these local cultural issues. When it comes down to it, snowbirds are just tourists that stay for a longer period of time. It is always going to be easy to spot a tourist in your local area, but that doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing. Tourists bring in extra money to the community and help the local economy thrive.
