Key Largo as "Home"

Key Largo

So as I have said before I was wondering if we need a structure or place in our lives that represents "home"? After this past months experiences I can now answer that for myself.  Yes, I need a town to call home.    

 Key Largo

We have been trying to rent out our NY place and finally have!  During the process of showing and interviewing current tenants I realized how much I didn't want to have to leave Key Largo in order to take care of our NY place.  I realized I belong here right now.  I love both of my jobs, we have made friends, and have a great support team down here. I am happy.

Relaxing

We went on vacation to Sanibel Island this month and realized our seaside town of Key Largo takes the cake.







Salt water is in my blood, the sun loves kissing me, and I love every freckle.

Soaking up the sun

I think most of all I love my community.  I love the "small world" down here.  We are all connected, we all seem to know someone who knows someone and because of this we are all friendly, helpful, and appreciate that we live "the good life!"  I am so thankful that I get another year of "the good life."

I look forward to another year of watching mother nature astound me, time slow, others put smiles on my face, and many many more sunny days!

Energy and Crocs

Sorry for my delay, I got distracted once again.  This time I was focusing on getting our NY house rented and I am still trying to do that.  I know I am weird and as a landlord I have realized EVERYONE is weird, it all boils down to how much weirdness we can tolerate in a renter.  This one month of showings, emails, phone calls (and Thank You Bill for doing most of the work) has resulted in some true characters coming out of the wood work.  Just for laughs here are a few: "we have bunnies, but don't worry we walk them on leashes" or "hi,  I am interested in your 3 bed room/1 bath house for my husband and our 7 children", or how about our most recent experience; they "love the place" and honestly I didn't love them, but my gut told me they wouldn't trash the place so I thought "ok sure why not",  they review the lease, ask us to setup a paypal invoice so they can pay their deposit and then they die.  I mean I am assuming they are dead as I haven't heard from them in three days and have no signed lease or deposit.  So onward and upward...here is hoping a few more weirdos wanna come see the place. 

So needles to say my energy has been focused on our NY house, b/c I feel like I can't start to plan or focus on anything here in the Keys without knowing for sure that we will be here one more year.  I read "The Secret" recently and I know from it that I should "believe it into existence and it will happen", and I try believe me I try, but some days its just hard not to stress about it.  I want to be putting my energy elsewhere, however I am a strong believer on focusing at one major task at a time.
I know our place will rent, but until I have a deposit I won't feel settled. 

So what else is new, well when we first moved here I felt like I was in the movie African Queen now I feel like I am in an episode of National Geographic.  We have a 9ft crocodile living under and around our dock.  He comes out every night and has already eaten someone else's dog...so Riley is band from the dock.  The FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) has tried to capture him but he always seems to evade them.  I'd like them to camp out on our deck for one full night, they'd have him in no time, but instead FWC has hung large chicken parts from my dock (yes, even if I wasn't already a weirdo my neighbors would now think I am).  The chicken is attached to a rope which is attached to two buoys.  Ideally(though I find it kinda cruel) he swallows the chicken w/the rope attached and the buoys float on the other end, FWC can spot the buoys, pull up the croc, snare him, move him miles away, and hope that he doesn't return (which they often do.)  So my questions were; won't the croc just chew through the rope? what if an unsuspecting boater tries to remove the visibly floating buoys out of the water b/c they just appear to be floating debris? HELLO Crocodile.  Well neither of my questions need answering...he is too smart, he spit out the bait sometime between his first bite at 11pm and the FWC's arrival around 10am the next morning.  So we now have not just chicken but rotting chicken hanging from our dock, b/c yes the temps are in the 90's here.  I am really not bitching I truly find this croc scenario quite entertaining and a nice distraction from my thoughts of winter in Albany.

I hope life is treating you as you expect it too! 

Like an Airplane

Like an airplane who has reached its correct altitude, with no obstruction in any direction, no specific location, I am merely a blip on a radar screen which can move freely at any time, this has been my goal, one I have achieved.  This is not to say obstacles and obstructions don't exist, but I have learned they can be embraced, avoided, scaled, or worn down over time.

To set such a goal that took years to achieve and succeed has taught me so many things about myself.  I can not believe I live on a beautiful island, living the way I choose on a daily bases, some might say I am living the dream and they would be right. However, the greatest achievement from this experience so far is pure unwavering confidence.  With each new goal reached or lesson learned through failure, I have only grown to know myself better, and now know that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. This may be the best lesson I have learned yet in life.

I know myself well and observe myself in the present as often as possible, however I have no set location, and no set destination.  This sense of freedom is amazing and terrifying at times. However there are days when I long to "nest" to have a sense of "home", in a traditional sense.

I should clarify that whenever I am with Bill and/or Riley; whether it be sailing, reading in bed, relaxing on our deck, or out exploring new things, I have a feeling of being completely whole, content, and "at home", however I no longer have a building, town, or state that feels like "home".  I am not sure one has to have a place/structure to call home, but I am currently seeking this answer for myself.

I aim to live in the present, absorb each day, rejoice in the goals and dreams I have conquered.  Today I ponder with desire yet without haste my future goals and dreams, because as one dream is reached another stirs from deep inside.