The moon is in Libra tonight, a sign of truth and justice. This evening, laying under a starry sky surrounded by palm trees and 80 degree air, is already enchanting. I love Florida and I will likely be moving here next year after I graduate from UMaine. You can’t feel alone when the stars are over your head – they remind me that I can overcome any difficulty in life and that any dream I have can come true with enough hard work and perseverance. Florida reminds me that the world is beautiful – I can be closer to nature here.
I went to r.f. orchids today. It’s an incredible estate covered by countless species of orchids. I think the owners are a gay couple, but don’t quote me on that. They also had some for sale and I got one small enough to carry back on the plane. A lot of people don’t know that vanilla comes from an orchid – the vanilla bean is the fruit of the orchid. They had a few vanilla plants on the estate. I will post pics soon, so be on the lookout!
The way we’ve been booking hotels has brought us to several different areas, it’s like an adventure in its own right. We’ve been up and down all the major keys all week long – Key Largo scuba diving, the Everglades, Islamorada, and Key West. There is an amazingly beautiful beach resort right on the beach in Key Largo called Sunset Cove – I loved staying there and definitely recommend it if you are coming to the keys. It feels like I’ve been here for weeks. I can be myself here – I can walk outside in my PJ’s and nobody stares. I see young gay couples walking around hand-in-hand and nobody cares. I like Maine’s environment (when it’s warm), but many people are still very conservative. The Florida Keys remind me a little of France – people are more comfortable with themselves and others, including affection. I think people experience a greater degree of freedom here and can better define themselves. And that is really the only true freedom any of us can experience.