I live just outside of Jacksonville, FL, but i like my location. It means that I can absolutely drive to all parts of FL to experience what they have to offer. I have been to St, however novemberine, Tampa, St; Petersburg, Daytona, you name it. I recently started looking at Lakeland, FL. I wanted someplace that was close to me, but odd than what I see on a afternoon to afternoon basis, however lakeland is about two hours & 45 minutes away from my house, and a long drive but not unbearable. I kept looking at things I enjoy in the area & liked what I saw. I like that there are tons of sites to shop, museums, parks, & gardens. I liked the look of the hotels & the pricing for everything… What legitimately sold me was the cool sites to eat, there were all sorts of cafes, diners, pasta joints, & burger sites, then everything from good dining to grabbing a quick bite to eat is gave there. I am a real food lover. No, I don’t take pictures of my food, but I prefer a good meal… So after browsing all the great food & realizing there was a market I could buy from, I was on my hubby to take me to Lakeland, FL! She is alway down to go someplace close to home. The cost of our getaway is so much lower, however my pal and I also know everyone will speak English, take our money & my friend and I can go condo in a pinch. I also like knowing my friend and I are going to have great weather no matter what.