Tomorrow, I will be in Key West.
Everyone has always asked me, why do you love Key West so much.
One word: magical
Yes there is the insanity of Key West. The ins, the outs, the drags, the nudity, the drunkenness, the party, the fun, the social unacceptable, the everything you never thought you would see, but there’s so much more…
Underneath the weirdness, the whatever attitude, there is a crackling energy that is Key West. There’s the beauty of the island. There’s the openness of the island. The smell of the sea air and the way that the salt air just clings to you. There’s the natives who have all been visitors once and moved to stay there. There are the tourists who are there for sun, fun, and whatever and then there are tourists like myself who are there for the sun, fun, & whatever but who are also there for a little magic.
I need this trip. I need to feel a little magic…okay, a lot of magic. I need to let go. I need leave everything here behind and put my toes in the sand, let the sun kiss my skin and dry my tears, and I need to find myself. I need to put all my wishes, prayers, and universal positive energy into a bottle, seal it tight, and toss it into the ocean. I need to let Mother Ocean hear my call.
Key West is the place I can do this. When Jimmy Buffett sang “I have found me a home,” I felt it the moment I landed in Key West the first time. I feel it every time I land in Key West. The only other place I have ever felt the same kind of magic is New Orleans.
My soul is at peace and my heart is happy in Key West. My spirit is refreshed.
If you’ve never been, I recommend going and if you can make your first trip by yourself, I recommend that. That was how I discovered Key West. Walking around the island, bicycling around the island, and exploring the island by myself. Taking in all of the Key West, the natives, the tourists, the life, the beauty, the soul, and the spirit by yourself. Visit Hemingway house, visit Mallory Square at sunset and take in the carnival aspect of it, go to the legendary Captain Tony’s and have a drink, and walk around Duval Street and watch all the insanity. This is Key West. This is part of the magic of Key West.