There & Back Again

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.

Chaos & Question Marks 6.13.10

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.

The Last Flight Out

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 Out by 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!

Making the Lists & Checking Them Twice 5.30.2010

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!

Covert Operation 5.16.2010

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

The Big Decision 5.9.2010

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