Whenever you meet someone they have a tendency to ask where you are from! My answer is that I'm from Key Largo in the Florida Keys. It's small-town living for sure; my graduating class was only 170 kids. We have one movie theatre that only shows about five to six movies at a time. There is no Chipotle or Panera, the only fast food we have is Mcdonalds, Burger King and Wendy's. And there are only two Starbucks in our town. Island life at its finest.
1. If you don't own a boat, there is basically nothing to do.
2. It takes 20 minutes to go 8 miles!
3. No one knows where the Keys are.
4. Everywhere you go, you see someone you know.
5. You basically live in a bikini.
6. We call Miami the "MainLand."
7. People come here for beaches, jokes on them, there are none!
8. Most of the time you're sunburnt.
9. Don't even get us started on the 18-mile stretch.
10. Sneaking into resorts is what we do for fun (just don't get kicked out).
11. It is a really beautiful place to call home.
kiersten Heilbron
12. The community here is like a family.
13. You are bound to run into a dolphin or manatee.
14. The fishing and lobstering here are awesome.
15. This place is something none of us would ever trade for anything.
There are positives and negatives to living in a town that has one exit and one entrance. There are so many great things about The Keys; the environment and the fact that you will always get to see a sunset and sunrise on the same day. The food is so tasty at every restaurant down here, and there is wildlife everywhere you look. The Florida Keys is an amazing experience and a place that captures your heart from the moment you enter it. My home is a place where you are always on island time.
