My best friend and I both turned 50 in December. We both work in service related fields, so December is no time to take off on a trip, too much money to be made that month! So we delayed it a little and went on our 50 Celebration Tour in February. Last week, as a matter of fact.
We had talked about going out of the country, or even Hawaii, but decided to travel to Florida, as Amy’s sister and her husband were going there and we chose to join them. Their mom and dad have a place in Sebastian, Florida so we went to visit them, and we hit the Keys for a couple of days too. Now, l like my family very much, but getting to be included in this family is just a dream come true in ways I can’t even explain! They have welcomed me as one of their own for many years now, to their cottage up north and to family holidays and events. I am a lucky girl, indeed. Florida was no exception!
We had lots of fun, a few little adventures and we might have even learned some stuff. One thing I learned is that Amy’s dad, Tim, is quite the social butterfly. Our first day there was kind of crummy weather, cold and windy, so we decided to go to a museum and run around town. He wanted to gas up his truck, so we headed to a gas station, but he decided as we pulled into one that he actually wanted to go to a different one just across the way. We stop, he gets out to fill up, and within seconds, he has 3 different guys coming up to him to talk to him, buddies from a volunteer job he does and one other Tim Goss Groupie. (We are all Tim Groupies, when it comes right down to it!) We just laughed, and teased him about that for our whole trip. He very graciously let us take his truck down to the Keys, and we stopped on the way back to fill it with gas, but debated if we shouldn’t just give him money for gas so we didn’t deny him the social opportunity of filling up his tank. He really is the Belle of the Ball in his little town down there!
We had lots of fun little adventures, and fantastic service everywhere we went. Neither Amy nor I had ever been to the Keys before, and that is just fantastic down there! We did an airboat ride in the Everglades, we went to a drag show, and we went parasailing. The weather was gorgeous, and there is so much to do and see that I wish we could have spent more time in Key West, but that just means another trip will have to happen. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast that was so charming, and the people that owned it and worked there felt like old friends within minutes of our arrival. Morreros Guest Mansion, and if you ever find yourself going to Key West, consider looking them up and staying there. Fantastic from start to finish.
Our week went fast, but it was so much fun, and we met so many fantastic people. Between the bars and restaurants we went to, and Happy Hour on the porch at Tim and Sandy’s and the fish fry party they hosted for us, I could not have dreamed of a better place or better people to celebrate turning 50. Life really is better when you surround yourself with wonderful people instead of worrying about what material things you can accumulate. We maybe ate and drank too much, but we laughed and experienced things that gave us memories that will make me smile for years to come. I could go on and on about every little thing, and it wouldn’t scratch the surface of how much I enjoyed all of it!
Thank you Amy, for being my BFF. And thank you for sharing your family with me. I love being a small part of your clan, and their generosity and love means more to me than I can ever put into words. We have had many adventures over the years, but flying high above the ocean with you probably just about tops the list for me. You are a gift to me, and I hope we can continue to do more things together for many years to come. I love you lot and lots!!
Coco's Veiw of the World 