5 Things You Have To Do To Be Initiated as a Floridian
Traveling to Southwest Florida and want to live like a local? Here are five things you have to do to be officially initiated into SWFL life.
Sunset beach in Southwest Florida
1. Eat A Pub Sub
It is just a sandwich, but yes, it is that serious.
Allow me to introduce you to a Florida staple, the deli counter at Publix. The “Publix Sub,” also known as the “Pub Sub,” is arguably one of the most sacred food items in the state.
Before you ask which one to get, the best of the best is the Chicken Tender Sub.
It's a combination of fresh bread, crispy chicken tenders, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sauces - customized to your preference. The locals around here light up when they are on sale, and plans are made around them.
To really get the full SWFL experience, you MUST:
Order a pub sub, grab chips and a fun drink, drive to the beach, sit on a towel, and eat that delicious sandwich.
Bonus points if you get the Chicken Tender Sub!
Will sand most likely get in your sandwich? Maybe.
Will you eat it? Absolutely.
That's how you will know you are one of us!
2. Master “Business Casual” (Florida Style)
In most places, a “nice dinner” usually implies heels, dress pants, or potentially even a blazer. However, in Southwest Florida, that means you're good to wear flip-flops.
The dress code here is different and can really only be described as a coastal/ neutral vibe. This means linen shorts, sundresses, sandals, or tailored shorts. The vibe is effortless yet polished, almost as if you intentionally came from the beach.
Going out to dinner in Naples, you’ll see designer bags and sandals. Maybe you're at a waterfront restaurant in Fort Myers, and a collared shirt paired with shorts is completely acceptable. On Fort Myers Beach? Shoes might even be optional.
If you dress up in full glam, like a tight, silky dress, you will stand out (unless you're on 5th Avenue in Naples). That is absolutely not a bad thing. People will get the idea that you are just visiting the area.
Living like a local means embracing that relaxed sense of confidence.
3. Accept That Sand Is Permanent
Here is something that no one tells you:
It lives in your car.
It lives in your house.
It lives in your shower.
It somehow manages its way to appear in places even if you have not been near the beach in weeks.
You will vacuum multiple times.
You will shake it out of the towels.
You will rinse your feet.
And somehow, it will return.
Living in SWFL means understanding that it's not the sand that is the problem; it's a feature. It's proof that you spend the day outside in the sun instead of inside. It's the aftermath of a fun day at the beach with your family or the sunset walks on Sanibel Island.
You can fight it, or you can accept it.
Locals accept it with time.
At some point, you will stop letting it impact your mood or apologize for it. Someone will get into your car and brush sand off the seat. You will both look at each other and laugh, realizing it's all just part of it. Coastal life just comes with constant sand.
In all honesty, if there isn’t sand somewhere in your life in Florida, are you even doing SWFL correctly?
4. Get Cold When it Drops Below 70
This has to be one of the funniest and most accurate parts of living in Southwest Florida.
Let the temperature hit 65 degrees, suddenly the hoodies come out, the windows close, and you will actually hear people saying that “it’s freezing”. At 60 degrees, it's a whole other level, and it's common to see puffer jackets, scarves, or shivering.
Visitors or even just people from the north find this absolutely hilarious because while Floridians are bundled like a snowstorm is going on, they’re in tank tops and shorts. But here's the thing…your body does adjust to the weather. When you live in consistent warmth for months, anything below 70 does start to feel chilly.
Cold fronts are events here. Outdoor restaurants close. The heated steering wheel gets turned on. The convertible tops close. This causes people to debate whether it really is “sweater weather.” It turns into the ice age.
The irony of it all is that by the afternoon, it might be 75 again.
But truly, for those few hours in the morning, SWFL embraces “its winter.” It seems dramatic to Northerners, but ultimately your blood does thin out after you live here, and after one season, you’ll start getting cold, too.
5. Learn How to Correctly Pronounce and Spell SWFL Cities
You can always spot someone new when they hesitate trying to say certain city names in Southwest Florida.
To live up to a local, you must learn to confidently pronounce and spell some of these names correctly.
Fort Myers (not Meyers)
Bonita Spring (Buh-Nee-Tuh Springs, not Bow-nita)
Sanibel (SAN-uh-bell)
Estero (Es-TEAR-oh, not Ester-Oh)
Matlacha (MAT-luh-shay, not Mat-lach-a)
Immokalee (Im-muh-KAH-lee)
Cape Coral (Cape Core-ul, not Cape Car-ul)
Sanibel is known for its beautiful shelling and cute beachy, laid-back island life.
Matlacha is artsy, colorful, and easy to mispronounce.
Immokalee carries deep agricultural roots and history.
Pronunciation really matters because it shows familiarity and respect for the place and its unique culture.
Spelling is just as important.
If you can confidently nail how to say “Matlacha" without pausing or hesitating, you're just one step closer to really having Florida local status.
What Living Like a Local Really Means
At the end of the day, living like a local comes down to the mindset.
To be a local, you will get excited about the things that make Southwest Florida special, like when our pub subs go on sale, and the smile shoots across your face. You will learn to embrace the laid-back lifestyle, and going to watch the sunset will sound like the perfect way to end your day. That's Southwest Florida for you…. but it's the best.
If you end up traveling here, participate.
Eat that Pub Sub.
Wear those flip-flops to dinner.
Stop trying to fight the sand.
Pull out the hoodie at 65 degrees.
Say "Matlacha” confidently.
Do these steps, and you won't just look like you belong, you will belong!