Googling Key West

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 Publix grocery 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 sweety duval 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 2nd annerversary 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!