When I got sober, it was like going from black and white to Technicolor (a term us older types will remember).
Everything was all of a sudden bright and radiant.
I think that alcohol had dulled my senses so badly that life (and my vision) had become a blur.
And I certainly had no appreciation for beauty.
After spending years of my life living in a neon-lit environment, it was nice to get outside and see some pretty sights.
As an aside, I like south Florida very, very much.
Its culture is something to behold.