What I Miss...

My dear sorority sister Suzanne shared this link this morning on her blog.  Strangely, this short video was able to illustrate to me all that it is that I miss about living in Florida. 

It's being connected...
knowing a familiar face, and the story behind it.


You see, this clip was about a big tradition in Tampa's Greek Orthodox community in the town of Tarpon Springs (near where my in laws live).  Link #1. 

On Epiphany each year, January 6th-my birthday, there is a huge celebration. Link #2.

The young Greek Orthodox men in the area dive into the spring to retrieve a cross thrown in by the Greek Orthodox archbishop.  In the Greek Orthodox church, Epiphany celebrates Jesus’s baptism in the River Jordan.  Combine that with Tarpon Springs sponge diving and boating heritage and you have a tradition born more than 100 years ago that continues today. 

I've been lucky enough to witness this even first hand at a former co-worker and junior leaguers parents home that surrounds the spring.  Link #3. 

This year the young man who retrieved the cross is a student at the high school where my friend teaches.  Link #4. 

His name Louis Pappas - also the name sake of his families restaurant - one of my favorite dining establishments.  Link #5. 

The sports caster interviewing him seriously dated two of my very good friends.  Link #6. 

This could never happen in DC-unless the newscasters wanted to do a special interest story on baking Christmas cookies featuring me, my neighbors and friends.  Everything here is on a national/international scale.  A friend who had lived here had told me this before I moved to the nations capitol, but it's just now starting to click - why it is that I feel so disconnected.  From a big fish in a small pond to a minnow in the ocean...

I'm carving my niche here, but miss the community and network I used to have.

Speaking of niche, tonight begins recruitment for the lovely ladies I advise.  I'm looking forward to spending a fun-filled, sleepless weekend with them and can't wait to see the results of all their hard work with their new member class on Tuesday night.  Until then...