Becoming a father has changed the way I look at Southwest Florida.
I’ve lived here since 2005. This community has given me friendships, opportunities, a career, and eventually, a place that truly feels like home. As a local business owner, I’ve spent years investing my time into the growth of this region because I believe deeply in its future. For the first time, I see Southwest Florida through a different lens: the eyes of a future parent.
We are expecting our first child this August, and somewhere between preparing a nursery and talking about schools, we found ourselves asking bigger questions than ever before.
Where do we want to live? What kind of life do we want to build here? What kind of childhood will our children have? What kind of environment shapes healthy, active, curious kids? What kind of community encourages kids to be outside, connected, and engaged with the world around them instead of isolated behind screens?
And increasingly, quality of life is tied to connection.
We have been fortunate enough to travel extensively together as a couple. More than 30 countries and countless cities. No matter where we go, the places that stay with us most all share something in common: they invite people outside. Whether it’s trails, parks, walkable neighborhoods, waterfronts, or outdoor gathering areas, the strongest communities are the ones that feel connected to both their people and their geography.
A recent visit to Sarasota reminded me of that in a way I wasn’t expecting. Spending time near the Legacy Trail, seeing families biking together and neighborhoods connected by something other than six-lane roads made me stop and think: Is a trail really that important to us?
Yes.
Watching kids ride safely, away from traffic, mattered more than I expected. The idea that my child could one day walk or bike to a friend’s house, school, or a park on a safe route felt like one of the most important things a community could offer. Not because a trail alone changes a city, but because of what it represents. It signals intentionality. It tells young families that a community is thinking long-term. It creates places where people can move safely, spend time outdoors, and build routines around health and connection.
For us, the conversation around the Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) became bigger than recreation. It became part of a larger conversation about the future of Southwest Florida and the type of place we want it to become.
Southwest Florida already has incredible assets. The beaches, boating, restaurants, weather, and natural beauty are why so many people move here in the first place. We love living here because we’ve built a life around those things. But there is a difference between a place people move to and a place where families decide to plant roots for generations.
Connected infrastructure matters. Safe outdoor spaces matter. Communities designed around people, not just traffic patterns, matter.
As a resident and business owner, I also understand the economic side of that equation. Trails across the country have become destination assets that increase property values, support local businesses, attract tourism, and strengthen the identity of a region. They become part of how people experience a place.
But for me, this conversation ultimately became personal.
Lately, I’ve found myself imagining not just the childhood I want my children to have, but how I want to remember their childhood with them. I picture family bike rides. Saturday mornings outside instead of indoors. I think about raising children who understand that life exists beyond phones, schedules, and four walls. I want them to grow up active, adventurous, and connected to both their community and the world around them.
More than anything, I want Southwest Florida to continue evolving into the kind of place where young families feel excited to stay. Because maybe becoming a father has changed what I value.
Home is more than where you live. It’s the place where your memories are built. Projects like BERT are not just about trails or transportation. They are about shaping the future identity of our community and creating a Southwest Florida that feels connected, healthy, and built to last for the next generation − my son’s generation.
Rafael J. Feliciano is a resident of Naples.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Why this Dad-to-be needs Bonita Estero Rail Trail | Opinion
Reporting by Rafael J. Feliciano / Fort Myers News-Press
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