Spring break time = time to travel and see new places.
To escape from the hard winter in Boston we wanted to travel to a place where it would be sunny and warm for spring break. Fortunately, the US is so big that we had the option to choose from nearly every climate and a variety of cultures from North to South and East to West. After discussing several options, we decided to travel to Miami Beach in southern Florida. This way I could visit some of my friends from Munich who are studying at FIU in Miami while enjoying the warm weather at the same time!
About Miami
Miami is about a 1,300 mile flight south from Boston. A trip by car would take about 22-23 hours. To give you a better idea of the distance, let’s just say it is comparable to a trip from Frankfurt (middle of Germany) to Istanbul (western Turkey). Miami is really close to the Bahamas and Cuba and benefits from the warm climate the Gulf of Mexico brings.
Palm trees and business buildings – something I had never seen before.
Miami has about 400,000 inhabitants and it is not only famous for its beaches, everglades, and beautiful weather, but also for its economic power. What I found really interesting is that many large company headquarters are based there, for instance, American Airlines, Bank of America, Kraft Foods, Cisco Systems, and Nokia Corp to name a few.
Cultural Differences
Breakfast in a beautiful restaurant with interesting Spanish history – Manolos.
And of course, the amazing beaches!
Boston and Miami are both American cities and yet totally different in every way; from the Architecture and fauna & flora to the everyday life. What you can easily detect is the Hispanic influence. With its proximity to South America and a high population rate of Hispanics, Miami seems to be a cultural mix between different Hispanic cultures and the European-American culture. This attempt to try to classify American cultures leads me to the conclusion that there is no typical American culture but rather state and regional cultures.
The Hispanic influence on the city quickly became obvious in various situations. For example, you could find many authentic Cuban, Mexican, and even Venezuelan restaurants that served traditional dishes. Nearly everyone spoke Spanish, In some little stores, it was even necessary to speak Spanish in order to communicate with the people working there because they didn’t speak English. I had the feeling that the Hispanic influence was also integrated in people’s behavior – everyone was very hospitable and friendly. There was no rush and no stress. Furthermore, the city seemed to never sleep. It wasn’t just the nightlife opening hours that gave this feeling, but also the fact that people where walking their dogs at midnight and simply sitting out and enjoying conversations and playing games.
My Résumé
A beautiful city with amazingly friendly people and the perfect climate in March! It is definitely a good place to go for Spring Break vacation!
The Hispanic influence on the city quickly became obvious in various situations. For example, you could find many authentic Cuban, Mexican, and even Venezuelan restaurants that served traditional dishes. Nearly everyone spoke Spanish, In some little stores, it was even necessary to speak Spanish in order to communicate with the people working there because they didn’t speak English. I had the feeling that the Hispanic influence was also integrated in people’s behavior – everyone was very hospitable and friendly. There was no rush and no stress. Furthermore, the city seemed to never sleep. It wasn’t just the nightlife opening hours that gave this feeling, but also the fact that people where walking their dogs at midnight and simply sitting out and enjoying conversations and playing games.
My Résumé
A beautiful city with amazingly friendly people and the perfect climate in March! It is definitely a good place to go for Spring Break vacation!
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