I moved to beautiful Key West the beginning of May 2009. I had literally just graduated college and was looking for a fresh new start. I also felt that where I had been living for the last 7 years had nothing left to offer me, as far as a career. I had just earned my BA in Elementary Education. However, that same time the county I was in had laid off several teachers and shut down 3 schools at the end of the school year, including the one I had interned at for my student teaching. So moving to the Keys seemed like the best decision. I was still with my daughter's father at that point, and he had been born and raised in Key West and the majority of his family lived there.
So off we went. We packed up all our stuff, our 2 year old daughter, our cat, and headed to Key West.
I had visited Key West a few times before moving here, to visit my now ex's family. But it was still a big adjustment. I went from living in a town of almost 200,000 people to living on a 2X4 island with a population of less than 15,000. Now granted I am from a small town originally, but I had gotten used to living in the large suburbs.
Key West is so different from any other place I have visited or lived. It's like a different world down here. It is as far south as you can go without leaving the country. Heck we are closer to Cuba than Miami! It is a melting lot of different cultures and backgrounds. It has that laid back tropical paradise feel to it. Everywhere you turn you see the ocean. And the night life is amazing. Performers on the corners of Duval Street, the streets lined with people doing what's called the "Duval Crawl", where you bar hop from one end of Duval to the other.
This place fascinates me. It has so much to offer. Festivals, events, sight seeing, tours, and more. But living here, it starts to loose it's appeal after a while. The constant parade of tourists every weekend gets very annoying, the prices from gas to food is outrageous, and the cost of living is sky high.
And then there are the locals, also known as "Conchs" or "Bubbas". The majority of them smoke weed, talk smack about other locals, and dress and act the same. But occasionally you'll meet someone who doesn't fit that mold. My ex's family is wonderful and so helpful with my daughter. But living here, on such a small island, you are bound to have your share of drama. Believe me I have had more than my share in the last 3 years I have lived here! But overall, I enjoy living here. I think it's a great place for my daughter to grow up and I plan on staying here until God tells me it's time to move on.
So come visit us here in historical Key West, the southernmost point of the continental US. I guarantee that you will fall in love with this place just as I have.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
My simple yet crazy life
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jennifer. I'm 27 years old, and am a single mom to a 5 year old little girl named Alexandra (better known as Alex). My life is far from perfect, yt there is never a dull moment. I decided to write this blog as an invitation into my life but also as a way to get all my crazy thoughts down in an organized way!
I currently live in Key West, FL. Yes you read that correctly. Key West. People dream of visiting this place. You hear stories of our laid back little town that is so full of life. It's one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. And I have called it home for 3 years. I never imagined real people actually lived in the Florida Keys, but they do! And there are some interesting people with all different backgrounds that live here. Every walk of life you can imagine. Key West has a lot to offer it's tourists, but as a resident, it looses it's appeal after a while. But I'll save that for another entry.
I'm a New England girl, born and raised in a small town in Vermont. There were more cows than people it seemed at times. And the winters are brutal there - winter lasts about 6 months, no joke. I used to trick or treat with my snowsuit underneath my costume. But growing up there was the best. I had a relatively good childhood, with a few challenges here and there.
When I was 18, I moved to Florida. Now, I had visited Florida every year for the past 10 years prior to me moving there, due to my father living there. But it was still quite an adjustment moving from Vermont, which had been my home for the last 18 years of my life, to sunny, flat, beachy Florida. It was quite a culture shock too! I grew up surrounded by mostly white people with European backgrounds. Then I move to South Florida, where every black, Asian, Hispanic, European, and Middle-Eastern person seemed to live! But I have called Florida home for almost 10 years now, and I never want to leave. I love Florida and all it has to offer.
And now I'm in Key West, where I am a mom, a teacher, an Avon representative, and a devoted Christian and church member. I wear many hats it seems at times. But at the end of the day I'm just Jennifer. A 27 year old mom trying to keep my head above the water. I suffer from ADHD and depression, and some days are a struggle. I try to always be a perfect mom, perfect teacher, perfect friend, perfect daughter, and a perfect sister. I expect too much of myself at times. But when I stand back and really look at my life (as crazy as it is sometimes), I can truly say I am proud of how far I have come, and am optimistic about the future. And in the meantime, I just have to remind myself to enjoy the journey.
I currently live in Key West, FL. Yes you read that correctly. Key West. People dream of visiting this place. You hear stories of our laid back little town that is so full of life. It's one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. And I have called it home for 3 years. I never imagined real people actually lived in the Florida Keys, but they do! And there are some interesting people with all different backgrounds that live here. Every walk of life you can imagine. Key West has a lot to offer it's tourists, but as a resident, it looses it's appeal after a while. But I'll save that for another entry.
I'm a New England girl, born and raised in a small town in Vermont. There were more cows than people it seemed at times. And the winters are brutal there - winter lasts about 6 months, no joke. I used to trick or treat with my snowsuit underneath my costume. But growing up there was the best. I had a relatively good childhood, with a few challenges here and there.
When I was 18, I moved to Florida. Now, I had visited Florida every year for the past 10 years prior to me moving there, due to my father living there. But it was still quite an adjustment moving from Vermont, which had been my home for the last 18 years of my life, to sunny, flat, beachy Florida. It was quite a culture shock too! I grew up surrounded by mostly white people with European backgrounds. Then I move to South Florida, where every black, Asian, Hispanic, European, and Middle-Eastern person seemed to live! But I have called Florida home for almost 10 years now, and I never want to leave. I love Florida and all it has to offer.
And now I'm in Key West, where I am a mom, a teacher, an Avon representative, and a devoted Christian and church member. I wear many hats it seems at times. But at the end of the day I'm just Jennifer. A 27 year old mom trying to keep my head above the water. I suffer from ADHD and depression, and some days are a struggle. I try to always be a perfect mom, perfect teacher, perfect friend, perfect daughter, and a perfect sister. I expect too much of myself at times. But when I stand back and really look at my life (as crazy as it is sometimes), I can truly say I am proud of how far I have come, and am optimistic about the future. And in the meantime, I just have to remind myself to enjoy the journey.
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