... and, 7 years later, we're still loving life on our rock! Read our crazy story, pop in every now and again for some conch-style insight, or just consider this an all-round go-to resource. But all in all, I'm glad you've found me, and I'm happy you're here!
Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers - all four of you including my dear, sweet Chop! :)~
It's been a terribly long time since my last update, but we are still planning our move and well on track for our late spring, early summer Key West arrival!
The past several months have been hectic on one hand, yet frustratingly slow on the other. I just finished the first of two grad classes at the University of Virginia as part of my teaching re-certification requirement for the state of Florida. My current license coincidentally expires next summer, and I am still very determined to teach in the Lower Keys. With that in mind, I don't dare risk a lapse in my license now (not that I ever would consider slacking ... way too much work to start over from scratch!). Needless to say, I had to swap blog writing for research writing this term, but I'm back in the proverbial saddle.
Oh, did I mention that our little 19-month old tyke has boundless energy, and I'm ready to fall into the dead zone of sleep by 9:30pm each night?? Where, oh, where - please really, do tell! - do new mommies find the endless time to get anything done??
Alas, that's the forever question that will never be resolved, so let's talk about the sloooowness of the past few months instead. Here's the funny thing, once Chop and I sat down and mapped out our specific timeline, we realized that there ain't much happenin' between then (the summer) and now. Sure, we've been plugging away at a gazillion hum drum details, but the big stuff is only just starting to roll. Three weeks ago - in the midst of two final papers, two nasty flu spells (one Chop, one me), and one miserable sinus infection that tormented the partridge in the pear tree - we finally had the opportunity to schedule an appointment with our Realtor. We needed to know some very specific information before putting our home on the market. More details on that later, but we got the news we'd hoped to hear (or close enough, anyway) which ultimately allowed us to put a date on the 2011 calendar. March 1st, baby. The house is going on the market on March 1st. Whew!
Which of course led to the, "Oh, my GOD" revelation. We have three months to get this house prepped, packed, and staged for sale! Seriously, this is scaaaaaary! It seems that no matter how many yard sales we have and how much we donate to Goodwill, stuff ... still ... multiplies. I'd love for the Discovery Channel to provide a scientific explanation to this common conundrum.
So, here we are. BIG stuff is happening now. In fact, I should be plugging along on my cover letter for my application package, but I just completed three reference letter requests, one application and five golden rings, so I'm thinkin' a little break is acceptable for the rest of the afternoon. So much more to tell, though! I'll be back!
P.S. Dear Santa, I'm claiming "new mommy" status until our son starts kindergarten. Please understand. Amen.
Today's poll from The Citizen, Key West's long-standing daily newspaper prompts:
Key West plans to replace coconut palms along North Roosevelt due to liability. What replacement would you recommend?
Chop and I have been seriously discussing our vehicle options, as we've decided that we likely won't keep both cars once we settle into our new Key West digs. As long as we maintain one truck for our 4-wheel-drive-towing-and-toting-capacity mama of a machine, we feel we can efficiently downsize to a scooter or motorcycle as our second vehicle. Fair trade. I do indeed feel a slight twinge of guilt at the idea of taking up so much space on a tiny island. However, with this latest concern along North Roosevelt, we may have to seriously reconsider our scooter option. Who knew one could get so terribly mangled in a rubber tree? I mean, really. Just sayin' ...
Ok, I finally found the exact words to describe why we're doing what we're doing. So I say, "ditto ... what he said!"
Key West: Where The Sun Rises Just For You By Clay Greager
Every time I tell someone that I moved here over 25 years ago with my wife and four children, I expect to be asked, "What's it like to raise children in Key West?" This is how I answer: I think Key West is one of the finest places anywhere to raise children. I spent twenty years in the U.S. Army before moving here, so I have some experience in what other locations have to offer families. None of them come close to Key West.
When we moved here in 1979 we had a daughter in 8th grade, twins in 10th grade and a son in 11th grade. Three of them are still here in Key West, own their own homes and have successful careers. They are happily married and have given us wonderful grandchildren. Not only have they done well but their spouses have also. Our fourth child lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., but owns property in Key West and plans on returning someday.
When I mention to people that this is one of the best environments in the world to raise children I usually get a confused look that puzzles me; "If you find Key West so irresistible and visit so often, why don't you think it's a fitting place for your own children?"
A typical comment I hear is, "But look outside at all those people. It just doesn't seem like a good place for my children." I have to laugh at that. There's a lot more to Key West than the 200 block of Duval Street.
I like to point out that we have plenty of shops in Key West but no shopping malls. Our children were raised without the "mall mentality." They were never dropped off at the mall to be picked up at a certain time. In Key West, parents maintain a very close family unit.
To our children, going out to the Content Keys or Snipe Keys to play volleyball in the shallows could be described as "their mall" but then we were out there also.
If we weren't with them, our children knew subconsciously that there were always adults around who knew them or us, which probably helped keep them in check. It might sound like they weren't free but really it was just the opposite. Sometimes I liken Key West to a very large playground.
At the same time, Key Westers are energetic and motivated. Failure in Key West means you can't live here; consequently there is a constant purging that takes place. In order to maintain a family, you have to work hard, use your imagination, and make the right decisions. I tell parents to envision what it would be like to raise children in such a community.
Key West children all seem to remain independent and seek their own futures. They literally grow up surrounded by people who are in pursuit of individual dreams, and it rubs off. I have never seen what I call "the herd instinct" develop here.
Then there is the exposure to the world through the many visitors who come to Key West each year. Most of these people are successful, well-traveled and open-minded. There is a natural tendency among our children to emulate them.
Key West is an island, but I also believe it's an "oasis of knowledge and worldly riches." And if there's any slogan that fits Key West, it's "Welcome to Home Town, USA"
Google is my friend. With a few, swift strokes on the keyboard, I can find almost anything on Google. Need to know all about Smilin' Bob's famous fish dip? Easy. How about the 2010 football schedule for Key West Conchs High School? No problemo. An exercise arena for Fido? Here it is! How about a Publixgrocery on the island - voila! Need to know how to move a family to Key West ... uh ... huh?
Hmmmm .... Google falls flat on this one. Completely and utterly flat.
Type in something as straightforward as "moving to Key West", and here's some of what you'll find:
"Living in Key West is not easy. It is not easy finding gainful employment. If you are coming looking for a life partner, most of the single people are either alcoholic or on drugs. " "watch out sweetyduval street is full of drunks, homosexuals, pan handlers, pick pockets, over priced drinks, sweaty t-shirt shops, crappy food, and ME! Then ya have to watch out for all dose kreepy tourists! If I see ya we will share a beer!"
"The ones that want a normal life wont want 6ft men running around in heels and dresses"
Seriously?? I've seen as much in Orlando!
In balance, I've found some particularly helpful (as in a "hmmm, that's something to think about kind of way") and interesting information: "Just a suggestion, before you jump into buying a house, have you thought about renting a place for a year to make sure you really like living here and what area you might like best. When I first moved here, I thought I had to be right in the thick of it. Now after 4 years, I like being a little away from things ... I can be anywhere in Old Town in 5 minutes on my bike ... I do know that I do not want to live in New Town. I need to be able to walk or bike when I am out on the town. Good luck. It's a great place to be. We have a great little community." KeyWestSusie-Q
"I won't bore anyone with my personal story but the shiny veneer of Key West does wear after you've been here a while, when you finally see the sub-strata and the inner workings of island living. Not that it's a bad thing, it's work and a pretty significant trade-off, working 1-2 jobs in order to live here and have an ocean as your back yard. It's obviously worth it to thousands of people, but it's a pipe dream to think you can get a simple job and sway in a hammock between two palms with a coconut drink during the weekend." Keywestaxi
"I moved here 19 years ago specifically for the caribbean type atmosphere combined with low crime rate and fabulous weather. All these same things, plus the people have kept us both here for the past 20 years. At the time we were both younger and didn't really think about it, just did it. I think that is the only way you will make the move. It will never make sense on paper, you just have to go for it. It is still paradise, something for everyone. Between the two of us we have a very diverse group of friends and acquaintances. 'One human family' does work here." Keyslass
Any my favorite, from one half of an inspiring couple I met on my recent trip (posted three years ago and still thriving in his own right):
"I've just passed my 2ndannerversary here. My wife and I gave it all up... the house, the property, the two cars, the furniture etc to make the move and try to start a business. Due to some awful circumstances way beyond our control, the business failed. We'd given up everything and put it into the venture. We lost it all. The story doesn't end there... We're now on 'Plan B'. We've essentially made it here. It can be done but ... it's not easy. The ONLY way we've made it is the same way EVEYRONE makes it here... With friends. Nothing important gets done here without them and the people here are absolutely awesome. In the midst of Hurricane Wilma, people who had lost everything they ever owned, found the time to not only wlecome us, but to embrace us. If I had a dollar for every time I heard, "Do you need anything?" (And this from people who were tyring desparetly to reassemble thier own lives)." Seabus.
The stories are out there, for the good or the bad. I love reading them all. Yet, I'm still left wondering, "what about families? What about kids? What about raising children in Key West?"
So, here we go, another new project in the works! After months of scribbling page after page of names, numbers, websites, and links on several notepads of paper, I've realized that this blog is the blog I've been seeking. If I can put all of my research into one easy-to-find location, then perhaps I can helps others like Chop and me. Other families who want to move to Key West. Other families who are possibly as neurotic and anal about planning something so seemingly enigmatic. In a sense, I realized I've been building our own go-to resource kit to paradise all along. If this in any way can help you as well, then I welcome you to join our ride. Hopefully soon, we'll see you in Key West!
Every year Chop and I have at least one massive yard sale. We're addicts. Completely and totally hooked. For years I'd been doing yard sales with my mom, and the first year Chop and I were together I suggested the same tradition. He snorted. Yard sale? Ha! He has since learned the wisdom of clearing the clutter and cashing in on the serenity of a clutter-free home.
Doink! Did I say "clutter-free"?
The funny thing is that we've now had at least four or five yard sales since we've been married, and we still seem to have more crap around this house than Santa Clause. I'm not sure how the physics works, but one would typically expect to find less stuff after a good, cleansing sale than more, but it seems that our house just keeps growing to accommodate more stuff. Not sure how that happens. Regardless, this yard sale is very different. The vibe has changed. This yard sale is all about "letting go" ... and moving to Key West! And tomorrow we're back at it.
So, the first to go? Wool anything. Wool blankets, wool coats, wool scarves and hats. We have one winter left here in Virginia, and we can survive without wool. Funny thing is that I never wear it anyway. Too scratchy. Don't we all know that already? The idea that I keep hanging on to that "great" wool turtleneck is just comical. Really. Not to mention that it's a turtleneck.
Next on the list? The second of any double of anything. The second hand mixer, the second blender, the second set of everyday flatware that we always thought we'd need but have never used once. I'll keep the second set of bakeware because I actually do bake, but the fifth, sixth, and seventh cookie sheet ... really? Oh, and the fondue maker! I don't have a second one of those. I also don't need the first one. I always dreamed of a lovely gruyere and fruit ensemble that still hasn't happened in five years. Bye, bye fondue maker. Funny that none of the barware is making the cut list. One can always use 12 martini glasses, two dozen wine glasses and three bottle openers. My family is Slovak after all. And we're moving to Key West where we expect lots of company.
Speaking of company, however, reminds me of space. There is none. We'll be moving to a tiny, two-bedroom home in paradise. When you come to visit, we might ask you to bring your own pillows, but we'll have fresh limes and pretty margarita pitchers to make up for it! The limited space is certainly a driving force in our decision-making process. If we're going to live a simpler lifestyle, then it's time to spine up and let it go. This is round one, mind you. The practice round. I'm trying to be graceful about giving up my nine bottles of red nail polish. It's a painful process, but I'm sure I'll be a stronger person in the end.
Simply put, as we snoop around our home looking for gidgets and gadgets for our driveway inventory, we ask ourselves two questions. One. Do we need really this in Key West? Eh, probably not. Two. Will this fit our Key West lifestyle? The moose figure? No? Sayonara moose. The family heirlooms? Priceless, of course. Some things will be with us always. Tomorrow morning, we'll be outside at 5:30 am trying to beat the early birds to our own driveway. Let's hope that sweet little moose finds a loving new home. I'm trading him in for a parrot.
Sometimes it's hard to place a neatly defined label on our frame of thinking these days and - if you know me - you know I'm one of those uber-organized Martha people who's greatly comforted when my days follow a categorical order. Yes, I have the notebooks, the files and the folders ... geek that I am! What I don't have are some significant and defining puzzle pieces that will determine some of our next steps. Oh, they're out there waiting for us, but how they fit into the grand plan hinges on a couple of key factors.
The whale of a piece right now is Chop's pending full-time activation with his Navy Reserve unit - possibly much earlier than expected - and we should have some answers in the next week. Quite honestly, our hopes are that this mobility order does happen ... and happens sooner rather than later. Two reasons: One (1). Chop has become more and more frustrated with his job everyday. It simply wouldn't break his heart at all to exit the arena for a few months ... or a year. I can assure you, I'd be just as happy if it would allow him the opportunity to pursue something he really loves. (2). The mobility would provide Chop the training and experience he needs to help oversee a rather critical inspection his unit is facing next year. Chop is fairly new with this unit. He's also like me: he thrives in preparedness. Every weekend that he heads out to drill is another weekend that he comes home energized and excited about his work. The more opportunity he has to train over the next year, the better for him - professionally and personally - the better support he can be for his Naval superiors, and the better leadership he can provide for his battalion. Now, before I am accused of being all pie-in-the-sky, I sincerely believe what I just stated. However, I wish I could honestly say that Chop's desire to mobilize was out of pure respect for Uncle Sam and not partially driven by the barrage of negativity he endures from nine-to-five. It's a sad day when one realizes he'd rather spend some time in the desert than to snorkel another day with the corporate barracudas.
But what about Key West?!
Here's the scoop. Chop would have at least 60 days notice before mobilizing, and word has it that it may still take another month or two before final decisions are even made. If Chop's orders place him on active duty for 6-12 months, he would still be local enough - at least for awhile - to come home on the weekends, we'd still be able to prep the house for sale, and I would still be able to fulfill some community obligations I have on my own plate. If this does indeed take place, he likely wouldn't come off orders until next summer ... only to turn around and deploy again in rotation as originally anticipated. That window in the middle would be our move date - provided my teaching position is secure (fingers crossed here!). Though he'd like to know that his current job is safe - and it is indeed federally protected - his heart clearly wouldn't be intent on returning to anywhere else other than Key West.
In the meantime, we hang tight for the final word. Chop's en route to the base as I write. He has a full week of training and, by the end of it, we should have some confirmation one way or another. In a way, I'm glad for the complementary drama. After all, this would be an awfully boring story if it were all too easy, don't you think?
It's been days now since I've come back from my research venture, and I sit here over and over staring at a blank screen. How can I possibly sum up such a jam-packed mission in a few simple paragraphs? Impossible! I figured I'd better start typing something, as I'm sure my fingers will eventually be lost in a race to keep up with my whirling swirling brain.
First of all, I can not begin to thank Ally enough for allowing me to drag her around Key West following a very specific checklist of places to visit, people to see, and things to notice. Seriously, it was tough duty - boot camp, really - and I had to twist her arm hourly as we shuffled around through miserable paradise. I'm still not sure she'll forgive me for catching our breath just long enough at The Green Parrot or keeping her out 'til 3am for a terribly dull evening at Schooner's Wharf and Finnegan's Wake Pub. Not to mention that we were completely forced, kicking and screaming, to meet up with a group of new-found friends who insisted in making us laugh for hours on end without so much as a cocktail in our hands. Exhausting! The nerve! Awful!
So ... when can we move??
Ok, so it took me three days to recover from lack of sleep, but let me say this right off the bat: if the majority of the locals are as welcoming, good-hearted, and absolutely dedicated to preserving the foundations that make Key West so special as the many folks we met during our brief stay, then I think Chop and I will be in good hands from the very start. We certainly have a lot of work to do as we map out our priorities, but one thing is for certain ... Key West is calling us. To be considered a local seems a privilege, something that is earned through the moxie required to make a two-by-four mile island one's home, almost as if one is required to take an oath of allegiance promising to honor its integrity. Let's face it, with the nearest Wal-Mart a 'mere' three hours away, I think they're actually onto something!
Grand illusions aside, reality still requires some forethought, and our priorities this round required three areas of focus: teaching opportunities, housing options, and childcare. I should also add that Chop is aggressively researching job prospects, as well. Of course! However, as a teacher, I have a specific interest in a very special project going on with one of the schools right now, and that particular undertaking is something I wanted to see in person.
Sigsbee Charter School is a K-5 elementary school located on NAS Key West which traditionally services the Navy and Coast Guard families stationed in the area. However, after years of neglect, financial woes and extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma in 2005, Sigsbee Elementary nearly closed its doors for good. With no intention of losing the familiar territory that 240-plus children called home, the local community - both military and civilian - came together to save the school. Next month, the school officially leaves the Monroe School District to become a private charter school that will tie marine and environmental education with Florida Sunshine State Standards in math, science, reading, social studies and other core subjects. If there was ever a project that I so desperately wanted to be involved with, this certainly is something very unique.
Ally and I had the opportunity to meet the new principal, albeit very briefly. We toured the school and walked away with the incredible sense that amazing things were going to be happening over the next very busy couple of months. It's too early for me to submit my resume quite yet, but my heart is set on teaching at Sigsbee. No amount of online research could have possibly given me the same sense of excitement expressed by this staff. To be a part of that team is a heady goal in an of itself.
The next item on my must-do list included visits with two separate housing affiliates, both representing base housing on NAS Key West. Several weeks ago I learned that retired military members are eligible to live in certain areas with rent and utilities at the fair market rate. Granted, Chop and I would love to live in an adorable Key West conch house on a fragrant tree-lined street in Old Town, but let's be real. If we were moving for the grand real estate, we'd be fools to do anything more than dream. Between wind insurance, hurricane insurance, flood insurance, and all of those little pesky insurance supplements, who can really afford to buy? Not only that, but we feel more secure testing the waters for a year or two first while we take our time to explore the local neighborhoods. Additionally, Chop expects to deploy next year for at least 12 months, and it's comforting to know that we'll be living in a military community that embraces its dependents like family. Maybe by then ... who knows, maybe that little conch house we love will be waiting just for us! In the meantime, I'm more than pleased with the base housing options available. No frills, mind you! But ... we'll happily trade the bells and whistles if it means we can sit out on our back porch and watch the sunset. Cha-ching!
Finally, our last round of errands included day care and/or preschool options for our little freshwater conch-in-training. I must say, I've been thoroughly appreciative of the time I've had as a sort-of stay-at-home-mom, but I'm also itching to provide a more structured environment for him to excel. Besides, with both Chop and I planning to work full-time in the Keys, it's a necessity if nothing else. The base has a fantastic day care center we could utilize only if one of us is affiliated with the base in one form or another. Unfortunately, teaching at Sigsbee Charter would not qualify us, but Chop is still actively exploring some positions with the Department of Defense. Crossing our fingers! A couple of the alternates are also appealing. Key West has a Preschool Co-Op that comes highly recommended, as well as a Montessori Preschool program that commands great respect in town. The latter two options were closed during my visit - summer break is upon us, mind you - but the information I've obtained otherwise will allow us to make the best decisions in time. At the very least, I've been able to see the campuses from the outsides, and both are worthy of the side-door thumbs up!
All in all, the trip surpassed all of our expectations, and it's only given us a more defined sense of purpose while churning out our timetables. Even if we planned a relocation to Anywhere Else, U.S.A., Chop's professional frustrations have reached full capacity. Corporate American is eating at his soul. At the very least, I tell him to close his eyes for just long enough to remember that we share a natural gusto for life far more adventurous than probably the norm, and ... with conch blessings and good luck ... and one way or another ... we will be in Key West before we know it.
What are the chances that Spirit Airlines cancels this week's flights on the same day that my son's babysitter calls to cancel the three days she had planned to sit while I was away this week ... and both on the day before I am scheduled to fly down to Florida? Are you kidding me?? Should I admit that I finally put my head down on the table and just sobbed my heart out in a rare-but-much-needed whoa-is-me moment? Oh, poor Chop! Note to self: Attempting to squeeze research trip to tropical island while simultaneously focusing on real estate business may lead to brain hemorrhage - or, at the very least, a shear test to see how much one determined woman can really handle on a secret mission! Needless to say, I'd make a terrible CIA operative. I also wanted to call my mommy.
I have the most dedicated husband on earth and count my blessings every day that we are family. Chop took a day off from work - aka from a ridiculously overbooked schedule - so that I could extend this trip to include a hop down to the Keys. So now here I am at 7:30 in the evening facing Plan B in a manner I had never anticipated. See?? Plan B ... we've been warned! To top it off, I now feel terribly guilty because I'm humbled to call my friends and admit I need some help, yet I can't be completely honest about the extent of my plans. What is even trickier is that some of these friends are well-acquainted with Chop's colleagues, one of them practically sharing an office. How does one explain that one's wife is going to Key West without said other - or even said child - without drawing even further suspicion? Oooooh, we all know the morals of this story! I hate to lie. Hate it. From the bottom of my heart, I hope they will forgive my indiscretion when we share this story one day, and I cross-my-heart promise to always have a room ready for them to visit us in Key West. Even during Fantasy Fest week. Anytime. I swear.
Fortunately, my alternate plans came together quickly. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude toward some very dear people, and I am incredibly happy to be back on track. My hope is that, by the week's end, I will have found answers to many of our questions. If I'm lucky enough to meet a few new friends along the way, all the better! Oh, and Spirit Airlines? Ally is still waiting for an apology, by the way.
I remember hearing this story years ago, and I recently came across it once again. It's worth sharing and written by a Key West native named Clay Greager. I have never met Mr. Greager and can only give him credit for this public story, but it's one I think is well-worth passing along. One of these days, I'd like to share it with my dad (if he hasn't already heard it himself, that is!).
My dad used to fly Cessna airplanes back in the day. He and my adorable mom - very often joined by a collective group of fellow pilots and friends - would island-hop around New England for quick day trips or the occasional one-nighter. Nantucket here, Block Island there, etc. I believe they even flew down to the Keys once or twice, but I'm afraid my details are a little fuzzy on their longer trips. Mind you, they were living in upstate New York at the time, so the northern islands were much more practical. My parents always enjoyed a good adventure back then: Windjammer cruises with coconut bikini tops, island scooters around small towns, and mixing mean martinis behind some local bar shack. Yup, those were my parents! Anyway, here's a great story that I think they'd appreciate ...
The Story of Last Flight Out by Clay Greager
During the middle to late 70’s there were only two ways to either arrive or depart Key West. One was by car traveling the old US 1 highway with its infamous seven-mile bridge and the other was the only airline to service Key West, which was called AIR SUNSHINE. Their first flight was at 8:00am ending with the Last Flight Out at 11:00pm. That airline was affectionately called “AIR SOMETIMES” due to its inability to fly on schedule. During that period Key West was only visited by a small number of tourists and it was considered one of the worlds “best kept secrets.” It literally captured those who visited and the most often heard comment was: “I’m not leaving until the Last Flight Out!” Arriving at the airport they would often find that the plane was not flying or it was full. However this was not cause for despair, in fact there are still people in Key West from the 70’s waiting for their Last Flight Out!
The LFO story doesn’t exclusively apply to Key West. It doesn’t even have to deal with a location. We all have a Last Flight Out within us. It’s that wistful thinking of who you’d like to be…where you’d like to be…and with whom you’d like to be with. It’s that ultimate escape in your mind. That last thought right before you fall asleep. Change careers, change locations, find a partner. Don’t say: “I can’t!” Believe in yourself! Step out on that 10-meter diving board. Close your eyes and lean forward. Trust that there is water in the pool. STOP going back down the ladder. Believe that just for today the Sun rises just for you…
Truly believe that there is one more Last Flight Out in you.
Arrivals… Departures… That’s what it’s all about.
From The Trilogy of the Last Flight Outby Elise Franzetta
First, you must DARE to dream… about who you want to be, where you’d like to go, and what you’d like to do, Then you must think positive… get that STATE OF MIND to help you through your journey. Lastly, you must have the COURAGE to pursue your goals… and never stop reaching for your dreams!
Chop and I just got back from a thoroughly relaxing vacation this past week celebrating our son's first birthday with our families back home in Florida. The easiest part of the trip was enjoying a chocolate-on-chocolate homemade Pirate birthday cake between genuinely lazy days by the pool and beach. The most difficult was keeping our Key West secret!! We are both very close with our families, so the idea of holding back on something like this stirs about a fair share of guilt, but sharing the details while we still have more questions than answers only invites the potential for understandable retaliation. There is one exception. Ally.
Ally is Chop's gorgeous, intelligent, and incredibly funny sister who is more than willing to help us with our plans. She is a confident risk-taker with an appreciation for new ventures, which is exactly what we need for moral support this early in the process. Now, lest me be accused of favoring one sister-in-law over another - or even one family member over another - Ally happens to be flying solo these days and under no obligation to conceal family secrets from another better half. As I suggested in my earlier posts, the fewer in the know right now, the easier for us to wiggle around this grand plan, zig-zagging through pertinent information as we sort through our options. We need a logistical partner-in-crime, and I need one very surreptitious travel buddy!
Ally happens to live a hop, skip and a jump away from the Keys, and Chop and I have a lot of questions that can only be answered on-site and in person ... and without the rose-tinted sunglasses of the quintessential tourist. Realistically, he can't leave work right now and our son is too little for this kind of trip (yet!). But I do need to explore the real Key West ... the love of the locals, the pride of the island ... sooner rather than later. I want to stop by the School Board, meet the principals, visit the schools. I want to walk the neighborhoods, chat with day care centers, and pop by the post office, pet shop, local gyms. Really, I just want to talk with anyone willing to let me pick his or her brain. Let's face it, chasing the dream is one thing, living it ... well, we do still have errands to run and productive lives to live! As a complete outsider, I can use all the help I can get!
Next week, I am boarding that plane and flying down yonder. Coincidentally, I also happen to have some other business to attend to in Florida, and the timing couldn't be more ideal. I've never minded a little creative multi-tasking when efficiency is in order (wink, wink!). Ally is meeting me in Ft Lauderdale, and the trip will be a quick one, jam-packed with lists, appointments and minds-wide-open. She'll be her brother's ears, his eyes, and his wit as his substitute. And, if our errands happen to take us meandering down Duval Street at any point of the day or evening, well ... we'll be the mischievously observant tourists at the end of the bar ... grins on our faces and margaritas in hand. It is Key West, after all!
The past week's dinner conversations have been more colorful, lively and entertaining than the two of us can remember having with only a single bottle of wine ... in a very long time! One thing we agreed upon quickly and firmly is that our plans - for the time being - would be best kept to ourselves. Frankly, there is too much at stake with too many family members who would understandably worry over our intentions. Chop and I tend to have a great appreciation for adventure, probably me even more than him, but supposedly mature adults are supposed to settle into the jobs, the house, the kids, the yard, et cetera with an orderly appreciation for all the successes we've achieved, yes?
Really?
So, why is it that I spend so much time worrying about Chop's steadily increasing blood pressure, or fretting over yet another doctor's visit for another new ailment. My husband is in his mid-30s, a regular at the gym, and we both actually like fish and salads. Yet, I have these horrible images of him being rushed to the hospital for heart palpitations while his boss follows after him with another oh-so-terribly important memo. Let me be clear, we are comfortable but not wealthy, we live in an adorable house that was built in 1949, and we mow our own lawn. But Chop finally said to me a few months ago, "Baby, now I get it. Now I understand why the $ is not always worth the stress at the end of the day." Hmmm.
I am incredibly fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom with our young son right now. In my former life (ha!), I was a military officer, a school teacher, an adjunct college professor, and a corporate trainer. All of those things I've loved. One of those professions keeps calling me back ~ teaching. It's been 10 years, graduate school, a military retirement, and a baby son later, and I still feel the overwhelming pull back to the classroom. Always have, but always redirected. In this same conversation he and I discussed about money and careers I had a revelation. Teaching 3rd and 4th graders netted me the smallest paycheck in that list, yet every day that I taught was another day that I felt very proud to be a teacher. Now, anyone who is a teacher, knows a teacher, or volunteers in a school will tell easily tell you that it is not an easy job, and it's a job that can have as many frustrations as rewards. But ... my whole point to Chop was that the biggest paychecks really don't always mean a thing at the end of the day. When I left that classroom, I felt the standard cliche, "I made a difference for someone today." When Chop leaves his office, well .. you know the routine.
So, what the does this have to do with Key West??
Three letters: J-O-B ... four if you make that plural!
Our original discussions merely a week ago included a lot of chatter about one of us working as a civilian contractor for NAS Key West in an "anchor" position while the other supplements our income with some odd jobs around town. Neither one of us minds work, we're both military-connected, and we don't have any reason to turn down a good experience. I grew up in a restaurant; I'd happily wait tables if that's what it took! Chop is also a Navy Reserve Officer, and his unit is slotted for deployment at some point in 2011, a mobilization that likely would take him away for 12-18 months if activated. The timing could work, and the idea of living within an active military community again appealed to us both. The security, the camaraderie ... it's something special. However, that conversation I had with Chop about teaching kept coming back to me. Finally, like a dumb ass who finally saw the light, the most obvious job solution slapped me in the face. "Duh, why don't you start teaching again??" How did I miss that?
In a matter of one week, we now have my job plan. I want to teach in Key West!! My fires are lit, my brain is spinning, and all I want to do is get back into that classroom like a first year teacher fresh out of college. I've been all over the web, all over the Monroe County School Board site, and all over the phone talking, researching, taking notes and making some wonderful new contacts. We're still a year out from our target date, and I wouldn't be looking for a teaching job until the 2011-2012 school year, but that should give me plenty of time to get my ducks in a row. I've maintained my Florida teaching certification for grades 1-6, have an M.A. in History and retired from the Air Force 3-1/2 years ago. Now, the million dollar question: Will anyone hire an excited and confident newbie in Key West?
Next step? I'd better get crack-a-lackin' in that resume! In the meantime, let's not worry my mom about her well-degree'd daughter seriously considering waiting on tables again. Truth be told ... I always loved waiting tables! ;D
So, we've done it! After countless conversations about moving back home to Florida, Chop and I have decided that if we're going to do it, then let's do it the way we'd love to do it. There are so many things about Florida that we cherish, but to find the one ideal location ... this has been our quest. We are tropical people at heart ... the heat, the sun, the smell of the salt breezes at the end of another steamy day. There is something very special to us about Florida that we want our son to understand. But ... where, where, where? What can tie it all together for us?
You must understand, we also have a bit of adventure in our blood. There's something in our souls that wants to leave a legacy about who we are, how we've lived, and the choices we've made as a family. We want to be those people, not those people ... those people who believe that anything can happen with detailed planning and a realistic vision. Those people who truly and genuinely believe that living a full life means taking calculated risks. Those people who don't just stand around the water coolers chatting about the "what if's" but go out and explore the actual possibilities of pursuing those dreams. Most importantly, we want to be those parents who believe their children also can reach any dreams they may have in their futures. After all, why not? We finally realized, now is the time. Our boy is still a little tyke, and we can't think of one good reason not to start putting an active plan in motion. So, my friends, we're doing it! We are moving to Key West! This is our choice, this is what feels right to us. Somehow, someway, we are going to make this happen.
Are we crazy? Maybe!
Are we serious? Absolutely!
Are we moving next week? Hardly!
So, why Key West? We're certainly not conchs, that's for sure! One thing we do know is this: we want something that is special, something that fits both of our personalities. One of us rears from the Gulf coast, the other from the Atlantic side. Our parents and hometowns are separated by five hours from one side of the state to the other. If we live in one town, do we forever feel guilty about settling near one set of parents and not the other? It genuinely weighs on us more heavily that one might think. We adore our families, and we are so very lucky to be so close with them, but we also don't want to live in their shadows. For our son, we want to be able to plant our own roots.
We also find ourselves craving a community that is so proud of its town that to be a "local" is considered a privilege. A great part of me envies that person who loves their community so much that they never want to leave. I think I've been seeking that my entire adult life. Chop has that in his hometown, but the opportunities for professional success would likely involve long commutes and real estate expenses still beyond our realistic means. One day? Maybe. For now, it's not in the cards.
Key West offers something magical. To be fair, it also offers a thriving military community, something that appeals to us on a very personal and practical level. Though we whole-heartedly expect that living and working in paradise will be very different than the occasional visit, we love the idea that both of us - me as a retired Air Force officer and Chop as a Navy Reservist - will likely feel right at home.
So, here we are. Our plans are in motion, we have pages of tasks to ponder, complete and research. And we are very much at peace with our decision. So ... now the real work begins! Plan A - aggressively working on it! Plan B - working on that, too! Plan C - no doubt! Estimated date of arrival? July 1, 2011. ;D
Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers - all four of you including my dear, sweet Chop! :)~
