A Key West State of Mind … Found in a Vacation Rental Home
We decided to add a bit of levity this week with a post written by my husband M. Scott Irwin. After decades of living in Key West he is pretty darn good at getting relaxed on the island and is famous for helping visitors find their groove. I think this little story he wrote sums up an ideal Key West get-away in a private Key West vacation rental. Enjoy … Cindy
A KEY WEST STATE OF MIND … FOUND IN A VACATION RENTAL HOME by M. Scott Irwin
Did you ever finally arrive on a dream vacation only to discover that your mind is still working overtime? You’ve been dreaming of this escape for months and you arrive at the hotel to check in, only to wait in another line and find your room is next door to the “loud couple”. You try to find a chair by the pool and the yuppie ‘hard bodies’ make you think those “I’m fat and out of shape thoughts” and you wonder whether your swimwear and flip flops are the ones Jimmy Buffet sang about 35 years ago. Wow are we having fun yet? Like pit bulls at a poodle party your self doubts are tearing up you self image and now you begin to worry about the usual work-family issues. How does this fit in at the 5 star-resort? $15.00 margaritas – I don’t think so.
Let’s now consider a different option that will create an atmosphere where you and your family and friends can enjoy the privacy and independence which promotes the comfort and peace of mind that you’ve been dreaming of. On a recent trip to Key West, my wife and I, along with two other couples chose a vacation rental home instead of the usual resort hotel. WOW, what a difference the intimate surroundings of a garden home with pool can make. No competition poolside, your own blender for fresh mango daiquiris and no swimwear at all if you’re feeling adventurous. Before leaving for Key West we received a “welcome packet” from our rental agent, which included directions to the property and everything we needed to know about our vacation home. Once we landed it was a short cab ride to our home where a key was waiting in a lock box by the front door. The cabbie helped us with our luggage, the lights were on and the AC cool. NO CHECK IN … NO PROBLEMS!
Once unpacked, we got out our “Welcome Packet” and found a nearby grocery and bicycle delivery. The packet also included complete information on entertainment, restaurants, attractions and emergency services. We got our bikes and stopped by the store for all the necessities. Now we were all set and ready to fire up the blender by the pool and wait for the arrival of our friends.
Poolside at last, we had a moment to relax and really began to appreciate the beauty of the tropical garden and the Victorian architecture of our vacation getaway. Our friends arrived and we were able to give them a proper island-style welcome including some fresh flowers from the garden. Everyone was thrilled with our new surroundings and as the week passed we all seemed to slow down and adopt the “KEY WEST STATE OF MIND”.
