I grew up in the suburban world known as Largo, Fla.
OK, so it is only 30 minutes north of St. Petersburg, and maybe a little bit to the west. I’m sure many of the people reading this live farther away than Largo. But sometimes it feels like worlds away.
When I first moved to downtown St. Petersburg in 2012, I felt a deep sense of culture shock. It’s almost funny to say that. Two places in the same state#and even in the same county#can be polar opposites. Largo is a populated place, but it’s full of families and two-way streets. I won’t generalize, but if you want to see the definition of suburban, go to Largo.
I love Largo. For 18 years of my life, it was the place I called home.
When I arrived in St. Petersburg, I felt almost out of sorts. It was like I’d been plucked from my suburban paradise and placed in a strange place. The one-way streets and urban life threw me off. I swore to myself that once I graduated, I’d never live here.
Funny how things change. I’m now in the last semester of my senior year. While I’m prepared to go anywhere, something inside me just wants to stay here.
I love St. Petersburg now. I can sit in my room in the residence halls and see Tampa Bay, along with downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg.
As with any place, St. Petersburg has both good and bad. But as I’ve gone to school here the past few years, I’ve found some pretty cool things about it. Because I don’t know where I will be once I graduate, I made a St. Petersburg bucket list of things I want to do before I leave St. Pete. Here’s a couple of items I’ve already checked off that list:
Visit Dairy Inn. This is an ice cream shop at 1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. I went once, but then I had to go back again. This place does ice cream right. Get any sundae they serve and you won’t regret it.
Go kayaking in Tampa Bay. Also another great experience that I’ve repeated multiple times. USF St. Petersburg students get free access to kayaks and can take up to two non-USF students with them for free. You get to paddle right past the Coast Guard ships. If you want some more fun, pack your lunch and park your kayak at Lassing Park. Time for a picnic! Put this on your bucket list. If you don’t go kayaking while you’re still a student, you’ll regret it when you’re paying some vendor $20 to kayak in the Gulf of Mexico.
Paint at Practically Pikasso. I found out about this place because one of my best friends works there. Visit their studio at 1912 Fourth St. N. Pick a piece of pottery and they will show you how to paint it. Sure, there are many stores like this around the country. But we’ve got a nice one in St. Pete. If you go on first Friday, your studio fee is waived and you only need to pay for the pottery.
I could write for hours about my successful bucket list experiences. But I think the thing that has made St. Petersburg so wonderful for me is the people.
Since moving here, I’ve found an incredible group of people that I am happy to call my friends. And of all things I will miss if I leave St. Petersburg, I will be most remiss to let them go.
I’ve learned an important lesson in St. Petersburg. It doesn’t matter where you go. If you are surrounded by a good community of people, any place can become home.
