Key West

I am the type of person who will pick up a magazine and begin at the back.  With that being said, I am having a difficult time on choosing a place to begin the story of Mary & Joe's  Big Adventure in the Bahamas 2004.

 So, I'll begin in Key West, at the back of the trip.   This was the Port we were really looking forward to.  Since the ship is in the port for the day only, there is only so much you can cram in.  And we wanted to see everything again, and discover more.

 We found the bar called "Rick's Tree House" on Duval Street. It opens onto the street.  I mean the bar is literally on the street.  We grabbed two bar stools and sat back and began to take in the town.  We left the island last year with such a sense of the place, that it was exciting to be back.

 The bartender was a trip.  The group of us gathered around the bar realized that one of the colorful characters of Key West was right before us. We coaxed his story out of him. 

 Tommy was ex-cop, New York City.  He was injured in the line of duty and found his way to Key West. He was originally Homicide, but was shot at so continuously that he felt it was in his best interest to switch to "community police," which meant bicycle duty.  That is where he was finally taken out by the most heinous of them all, little old lady with big car.

 So he headed to Key West and wrote a book. He even has a publisher lined up! Writing came easy to him.  He just used himself as his main character.  He was Good Tommy, Evil Tommy, Brave Tommy, Stupid Tommy...and each individual began to take on a personality and role in the story.   

When he would have writers block, or feel  he was forcing it, he would head out into the Keys for R&R.  When inspiration was restored, he would return to the book. 

Key West is so beautiful that you just want to fall back into it and stay forever. Write books and head to the beautiful pearl necklace of islands for soul nourishment. 

What a life.