Key West...I miss you.

I have been blessed this year...have gotten to see friends and family and travel to new places...and ones I've been before...

Key West. Last visit was 11 years ago...woah...I can't believe it as my fingertips type the words. So many things are different and also the same. The first difference that tugs at my heart strings and must be mentioned...

The BP oil spill...that continues to gush...has already caused irreversible damage to the Gulf of Mexico and continues to contaminate the ocean like an ugly, unforgiving plague...the ocean I grew up playing in has been tainted. This saddens me beyond words. Though the Florida Keys have not felt the full effects of the oil they're a sitting duck with no hope of escape...the oil is heading that way. There were shirts protesting BP hanging in the stores windows all along Duval St. this was the first thing I noticed.

Despite the current situation..the sun shone down and the air was clear..I was out of L.A. and back home. Florida. I couldn't soak up enough of the smell in the air. And that first summer rain made my soul sing. I felt free. We sat on the porch of our cottage inn swaying melodically in our rocking chairs as the rain danced while falling to the ground. The air was warm and hypnotic against the rain... refreshing and alive. I couldn't have been happier to finally be in Key West.

One night we biked the island to a little Cuban restaurant known only by the locals(best kept secret I found). There was Chad and I, my cousin, Tammy and her husband Steve and a gang of friends..some old, some new. We got cozy at Irish Kevin's(my personal favorite) there is always a live guitar player singing his heart out while he's convincing patrons to get on stage and interact...you never know what to expect...it's quite the show! And yes...I did make my way up there..once..or twice ;) And then there was Sloppy Joe's...Chad and Tammy did a rain dance in the street there, we befriended a band member, sang on stage..me...the girl who can not hold a tune to save her life was loud and proud with a mic in my hand, with Tammy as my back-up. It was glorious. For Tammy's birthday there was breakfast at this outdoor diner(Blue Heaven) set amoungst the trees while chickens and rooster scurried at foot with a bike ride to follow to the Southern Most Point..a place I had been last time I visited. We all headed to the warf and explored some more...swimming in a saltwater pool at Dante's and later eating a scrumptous dinner at Conch Republic on the water, while Tammy got duped by the fake snake I hid in her bath tub..heehee! There were a lot of laughs over the course of our trip, fond memories that made it seem as if time stood still while we were enjoying the Island and each other's company...but like all things...the end neared and our last day was upon us...

4th of July (and my brother's birthday..wish he could've come...) was relaxing by the pool, a second visit to Mallory Square for sunset and dancing on the boardwalk with a latin jazz band...I attempted(or pretended really) to salsa...it was so fun. Then we saw the fireworks from a very tall hotel. It was the perfect end to a fun filled trip. Every moment was special, I enjoyed it all, especially touring off the beaten path on bikes admiring the homes on the Island...the craftsmanship set apart from our modern ways...ship builders who landed on the island in the 1800s crafted each home to last hundreds of years and weather any storm..they still stand today. I would love to own a piece of history one day soon and visit more frequently. I have a love affair with the idea.