Jammin in the Keys...

Last Friday, Jam and I drove over the Florida Keys until we hit the end of the line, the Southernmost point of the continental US: Key West. A once very secluded place, it has an unique history including such notables as Ponce De Leon, Samuel A. Mudd (Ft. Jefferson), Harry Truman, the birthplace of PanAm, Ernest Hemingway, JFK and, how could I forget, Mr. Jimmy Buffet. While now it may be more a tourist trap than anything else, I can only imagine how awesome it was back in the day. An outpost in the South. Technically in the States, but far enough off the beaten path not to be bothered with “overregulation” and “law” (see bootlegging during the Prohibition). Just 90 miles off the coast of Cuba, I could picture Ernest Hemingway throwing back glass after glass of rum in his home, to help stay cool during the summer months' relentless heat and humidity.


It’s really enough to make you want to find a deserted key and just chill there for a few months, away from everything. Chlling out with friends, sitting up late, and watching the moon hover over the ocean while warm ocean breezes carry away any problem that may have seemed to seize the day. Yeah, Jam and I thought this sounded great, but then we figured going back to work would be such hell! Mondays are bad enough after a short weekend, imagine a few months of that?! We would have to have something to ground us (maybe a daily newspaper or the internet for news, sans email of course;).

In a sense that’s what exploring is all about. Finding your little paradise that hasn’t been discovered by everyone. Something that isn't overly commercialized and marketed to the masses. It’s akin to choosing a visit to Krakow in November over Munich during Oktoberfest.

Anyway, I left the humidity and sweat and returned to warm, dry, desert heat (with a little bit of smokiness in the air, can't forget about that smog, yum yum). Key West was cool, as was Jam, as was Miami and South Beach. I'm always reminding myself that I'm in the US when I'm there, because it's easy to forget that you are!