Day 1: Florida Travels

As promised, here is the blog-photo-documentary from some recent travels. It was a quick trip to get away and see a good friend. A meet-up that has been 4 1/2 years in the making and we vowed if it reaches another 5 years without paths crossing...it will be time for another meet-up.

Below is the photo-doc, after the fact. Some of the stuff was a lot more in the moment, but hopefully this captures some of the good stuff. Next time, I will have to try for a true day-by-day documentary.

Ready for Take Off

The trip started out with a bunch of nervous nellies on my plane. From the boarding area, they were watching the clouds and speculating that they hoped we missed the incoming storm. Well, as soon as we all got on the plane, you could hear the rain pouring on the roof. Kind of funny.

The Man in the Yellow Suit
I had decided to pack light and keep a carry on. However, this plane was a bit small for that and required plane side checked baggage. As we listened for the rain to clear, I noted the man in the yellow suit outside my window and prayed for him to load by bag on last, so it would be the first off for my short layover. My very short layover. I am thankful for this man in the yellow suit.

Seconds Matter
When the plane landed at my connecting destination, it was a very short time frame. Again, if I would have blogged along the way, I would have remembered that detail...so let's just go with 20 minutes. It was something like the next departing flight was to start boarding a few minutes from when I landed. I worked through in my head that this was just the first boarding call and it would take time to board the entire plane before take off. It was going to be fine. However, what I had not accounted for was the hike between terminals. Rather, the tram ride between terminals. It is in moments like these that seconds matter. Thankful I had on my running shoes. :) Gate to gate, there were four minutes to spare.

When my friend picked me up from the airport, I was immediately in awe at all the water all around. It was all right there.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere are Signs...

The first evening was a good night to catch up over dinner at a local seafood place, water side. It was wonderful, but not what I expected at all (this is the theme of a lot of my experiences). Below are just a few of the signs along the way. The alligators sign was not too far from our dinner table that night. The other signs were on the way home. Did I mention my friends are the youngest by far among their neighboring retirees with golf carts. :) This place does have character and my inner elderly-chica was right at home.

Yes, that is a taco truck we saw the next day. Gotta love the local flavor.

The rest of the evening was spent chilling at their place and checking out the to do list for the weekend. I had told my friend that no schedule was good. Really, just to hang out and do whatever. Well, we started out that way pretty well as I had forgotten to give her the specifics of my flight details....like airline. We just figured it out.

We later discussed that neither one of us was worried because we knew that the other one was the planning type. There was bound to be a plan b. And a plan c. It would all just work out. :)

As for the plan-free weekend, well ok, we did make some slight plans. But of course, with some great back up plans.

To be continued...