figuring now much could top the night before i set out to see if this town had more to it than sodomy and liquor. i soon discovered there was a tremendous amount of character spread throughout the southernmost city. cuban restaurants chameleoned with art galleries along with coffee shops and souvenirs for every humor and drunken state. banners hung with pb directed feelings while shop keeps allowed their 1800's architecture speak for itself. the bartenders and above shop keeps spun from young nomads with self-imposed two year time tables to seventy year old retirees who were fulfilling a dream that began when they touched down on their first vacation many years prior. key west is an eclectic group of people and ideals that live in a liberal melting pot, collaborating to create constant waves of inspiration, philosophies, and lifestyles. it is warm, inviting, and houses plenty of room for acceptance and unity.
to truly document all of my experience it will take more than than just a few posts on a blogspot account. whether it was the french bakery down the block from my hotel where i found solitude in warm pastries, fresh cappuccino, and a handful of pages in my book or a 2 a.m. conversation with one all to eager and one all too innocent prostitute, a pimp, and a hundred dollar exchange in return for "fetishes, roll play, and acts of dominatrices," every lifestyle can find acceptance on the isle. i could continue on by explaining how i found the inspiration to write a pulitzer prize winning novel after visiting the home of hemmingway or who i inquired on the seven seas once climbing the steps of the key west lighthouse, but i feel it is a place better served if visited and lived first hand.
one secret i will let you in on is the people. i meet numerous people throughout my stay, each with their own story to tell. the personalities and ideals of every individual that one meets in this part of the country is enough to fill volumes of literature. some may look in and question the direction these people are heading in life while others stare with an envious gaze as they push their stroller filled with a set of two year-old triplets. i see groups who took life and made a decision not to settle into the mundane, to seek thrills, to start anew, and to script a story worthy of writing about.
to truly document all of my experience it will take more than than just a few posts on a blogspot account. whether it was the french bakery down the block from my hotel where i found solitude in warm pastries, fresh cappuccino, and a handful of pages in my book or a 2 a.m. conversation with one all to eager and one all too innocent prostitute, a pimp, and a hundred dollar exchange in return for "fetishes, roll play, and acts of dominatrices," every lifestyle can find acceptance on the isle. i could continue on by explaining how i found the inspiration to write a pulitzer prize winning novel after visiting the home of hemmingway or who i inquired on the seven seas once climbing the steps of the key west lighthouse, but i feel it is a place better served if visited and lived first hand.
one secret i will let you in on is the people. i meet numerous people throughout my stay, each with their own story to tell. the personalities and ideals of every individual that one meets in this part of the country is enough to fill volumes of literature. some may look in and question the direction these people are heading in life while others stare with an envious gaze as they push their stroller filled with a set of two year-old triplets. i see groups who took life and made a decision not to settle into the mundane, to seek thrills, to start anew, and to script a story worthy of writing about.
danny: lived and worked in michigan all of his life. he and his wife have traveled to key west for vacation since falling in love with the spot ten years prior. from their first landmark visit they knew this is where they wanted to spend their time together and while still in their fifties, danny never anticipated it would have been so soon.
he spoke to me about how he was given a second life when his work laid him off after thirty years. his family has never once felt sorry for themselves, instead he has always looked up during down times. not soon after, his best friend and childhood backyard neighbor approached him about running an art gallery off of duval street. his wife makes lamps and other crafts out of old coffee bean bags and always dreamt of having her items sold in a gallery off of duval street. it quickly became a no brainer. within the month they sold their house in michigan and moved south, this time for good. the shop opened last october (2009) and they enjoy the process of learning as they go.
joule: at 28, she can be considered nothing less than a nomad. trained as a dancer growing up, she began work on a cruise line performing "off broadway" shows while sailing the caribbean sea and tackling trans-atlantic trips along the northern seas and through the mediterranean. she currently works as a server at roof top cafe and bar tender at cowboy bill's on a undetermined time frame. this august she decided she wanted to head to nicaragua for a week long yoga and surfing trip.
the hero: this man should write a book on his life. as an elderly alexander supertramp, the anonymous man has transformed his life from the ordinary to one of simplicity. after selling his construction company in southern michigan and migrating to arizona, he has renovated a large van and begun living a minimalist lifestyle. his possessions are bare, relationships strong, and desire to seek legendary. since the transition, "the hero" has traveled to numerous countries on four continents, used his gym membership for his daily shower, the local grocer as his food source, and free time as an excuse to explore. currently he has just finished a trans-american cycling trip from san diego to key west for no other reason than to see the hill country of texas and to fish with a buddy in the gulf. after a weeks stay, he will be taking a boat to sarasota to reconnect with a friend before traveling home to arizona where he will begin planning his next trip.
i wish them all the best of luck and hope they continue to head in the direction of their dreams.
if you go:
to eat:
roof top cafe
308 front street
key west, fl, usa 33040
305.294.2042
specs. self-proclaimed best key lime pie in key west which is a rather large proclamation
cowboy bill's
618 duval street
key west, fl usa 33040
305.295.8219
specs. they have three or four room plus an outdoor area with life music. oh, and there is a rodeo mechanical bull geared towards the ladies on wednesday nights when they drink for free...do the math
to see:
hemmingway home
907 whitehead street
key west, fl, usa
specs. before all, you must watch your step for there are over 50 cats (most 6 toed for good luck) that roam the property. besides that, be sure to check out hemmingway's writing room which is worth the price of admission.
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