Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Long time, no blog, or, Settling into life in the Keys

Kicking back in the Keys

Well jeez, where does the time go?

As we've settled into life here in Key Largo, we find the time picking up in pace again.  The last few years seem to have flown by in NY, then slowed waaay down when we were road-tripping, and we've now found a kind of happy medium.

Life in the Keys is pretty much how we would expect.  The people are laid back and friendly, and often a bit quirky (a good thing!).  There is rarely a time where shoes are required.  Most days see temperatures in the 70s and even into the 80s while much of the country has been in the miserable grasp of winter.  The water is a wonderful aqua-marine color.  Life does not suck.

I've been keeping mostly busy working at a yacht brokerage.  I've had great opportunities for sailing and learning more about boats.  I worked at the Miami Boat show, which was a fun, if not a bit grueling five days.  The business is a lot like being a real estate agent, which is something I was interested in once upon a time.  If anything, I find I enjoy and look forward to working much more so than I ever have before.

I have found a great sailing mentor in the owner of the brokerage.  He has sailed all over the world for decades and I've been fortunate enough to go on one delivery and a few day-sails so far.  So, I am learning quite a bit.

Trisha is working at a couple of places part-time and doing some babysitting.  For both of us we feel that even on a bad day, when we come home it feels like we are on vacation.  It's a great feeling to be able to go outside and launch our kayaks right off our dock and be out on the water.

We still find ourselves looking for a sailboat.  Right now we'd like to get something that we could take for long weekend trips down the Keys.  So hopefully we'll be able to post about that someday soon.

We hope that we are proof positive that no matter how stuck you feel, or if the economy is bad, or if you hate your job; you can break away and start a new life and live out your dreams.  We've met loads of people down here who have stories very similar to our own:  They come to visit and realize what they've been missing, and they don't go back. 

Throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbor.  There's a big beautiful world out there waiting to be discovered.

Sailing in Biscaye Bay, off Miami on a new Beneteau 40

Kayaking in the Florida Bay

An old wreck off Vaca Key, near Marathon

Having a blast

4 comments:

  1. Would love to move down there and have that life - alas we need to save more money before we can make such a move. That and we don't even have kayaks yet!! Only time will tell and hopefully we will know this summer where we will end up.

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  2. Jake-Many believe the best time to make a change and take a risk is when you don't have the money to do so (what do you have to lose-not money)...it forces you to find a way to make the money while living the dream. Plus we have an extra 2 man kayak here :) Keep us posted on your relocation details!

    P.S. the "Old Wreck" refers to the ship not me...at least I don't feel old just yet!

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  3. Can't wait to get a look at your new life style. See you Friday.

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  4. So glad everything is working out! We can do whatever we set our minds to, and believe me "we" are working on doing the same. Can't wait to get down there, and your post is truly inspiring!

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