Thursday, February 10, 2022
It was a glorious view from the sky as we circled, then landed in Key West. My excitement was palpable and I was anxious to get off the plane and on the water. We landed around 10:15 on a Thursday morning and it was warm, sunny and clear- a marked change from the cold of a February in Anchorage.
The first thing I noticed was that Key West International Airport (KWIA) was the smallest airport I have even been in. That’s not a complaint- just an observation. I was surprised at small it was since Key West is a popular tourist destination. We had a full (oversold) flight from Atlanta and two others flights had arrived within the same 30-minute time period. It made for a crowded area since the same area where passengers diemnbarkd also has a small bar, a rental car counter and the luggage carousels- all in the same tiny space. Nevertheless, I was surprised by how quickly the luggage came out and we everyone dispersed. Within 15 minutes, just about everyone had emptied out from the building, except for a few stragglers (like me).
I grabbed an Uber, chatting with my friendly Uber driver (Aaron) for the duration of the short drive. Aaron said that Uber was a part time gig and that he also owned and operated a charter boat business out of Key West. When I asked if he netted a lot of busines from all the tourists he met driving for Uber, he gave me a smile, a ‘yes’, and a business card. He said he had just moved to Florida less than a year ago, and starting this business was dream come true.
Talking with someone who was following their dream and happier than they had ever been seemed like a great start to my vacation.
When Aaron dropped me at the marina, I unloaded my luggage (one piece of luggage, one backpack & my purse) and strolled down to the dock, stopping briefly to ask a lady where the dinghies would be ‘parked’. She pointed out the nearby dinghy dock and I walked over to it, luggage and gear in tow. I stopped short, my eyes drawn to a man who was tying up his boat. From the back, in a yellow slicker, with a backwards baseball cap, it could have been anyone, but I had this sneaky idea that it might be Paul- and I was right!
A few hugs and hellos later, Paul had loaded up my gear, passed me a life vest to wear, and helped me step carefully into the dinghy. We slowly motored out of the marina to the Kya Anne.
Once we got out to the Kya Anne, Paul tied up the dinghy (tender) and unloaded my luggage and backpack. (It took me a minute to get my balance and climb aboard the Kya Anne, but I made it aboard without falling in, so YAY!
Paul showed me by cabin (berth) and and I stowed my gear, grinning from ear to ear as he gave me the quick tour of the Kya Anne (she’s beautiful, isn’t she?).
We settled in for a quick dinner, a game of cards, and a glorious sunset, listening to “No Shoes Radio”, a Kenny Chesney station. (I don’t know who this Kenny Chesney guy is (beyond a country singer), but he seems cool, so I plan to meet him some day.)
Having traversed 4 states and 3 time zones with over 14+ hours of travel and only a handful of hours of sleep, I went to sleep early, and the rocking of the boat quickly lulled me into unconsciousness.
