Sometimes you have to follow your gut. If listening to the
Universe has taught me anything, it’s been to listen to my heart and not ask
questions. So this morning, after waking late and feeling only slightly guilty
about wasting so much of my day off (I got up at 11:30 today), I decided I was
going to find my own Orlando Smokey Row. After a quick google search, I found
the Dandelion Communitea Café, which had been the only place that from their
description gave me the idea that I would be welcome to camp out for a while. I
mean, really, what are the rules? The coffee shop etiquette? I would go to
Smokey Row and sit for six hours, but I would refill my drink and tip with
every refill (even though more hot water was free) and I would always be sure
to tip large on whatever food item I bought as well. I wanted to make up for
the table I was taking. I don’t think you’re really supposed to spend as much
time as I did, but I felt as though I was making up for it somehow, and I
wasn’t the only one who was always there.
So now my struggle is to find a place with good eats, good
tea, cozy artsy atmosphere, and will allow me to hang out for a few hours while
I write and put together a piece. An hour and a quarter of a tank of gas later,
I think maybe I’ve actually found that place. When I set out this morning, I
didn’t realize I would be on the road for so long, and I didn’t think that I
would get that hopeless feeling in my gut. When I pulled up to the Dandelion
the vibe was not what I was expecting. Not that it was a bad one, but it just
didn’t give me the feeling that I had hoped for. Similar to Smokey Row in that
it was tucked back into a neighborhood, but not modern enough on the outside to
make me comfortable. Plenty of people were sitting outside on the patio, but
the building itself was an old house I didn’t want to waltz in with my computer
bag in tow, just assuming I would camp out. Slightly disappointed and mildly
flustered because I had just had to dig for change for a toll (I still hate
them), I searched on my phone again and headed off on another 25 minute drive.
That’s the other thing about Florida. I am only 10 miles
away from my original destination, but because of traffic, everything takes
twice as long here as getting anywhere in Iowa. I am still trying to remember
to budget enough time and to remain patient. I also find myself getting more
carsick that I have previously which I really do not enjoy. Anyway, I digress.
I pulled up in front of this current shop and my first thought was, “oh god,
are they even open today?” because the parking lot was near empty and the
building was shaded. I decided I would walk inside and see the atmosphere
before I would bring in my computer, just in case. Immediately after walking
through the door, I knew that Achille’s Art Café would be my new get away. The
furniture outside gave a boho chic vibe, and inside it was shady and lit with
small lanterns and Christmas lights. Covering the walls are an eclectic
collection of signs, some decorative and some with witty sayings, like the one
with the 50’s style housewife that reads, “DRINK COFFEE: do stupid things
faster with more energy.” There is real art hanging alongside these pieces as
well, and it feels like a small inspirational cave. I’m not the only one camped
out on a computer, and there are some who are just having a drink and chatting.
The furniture ranges from tables and chair to large stuffed couches and lounge
chairs. My choice of tea was something simple from Twinnings, their Lemongrass
Ginger blend.
I don’t know that I like Florida, but I like it here. I have
been on the fence a lot recently, unsure of if I will go home or not. I feel
pressure to stay because I made the move and I told so many people this was
where I needed to be going. Is six months really worth all of the effort I put
into this? But at the same time, I don’t know that this place feels like home.
I enjoy work, I love the beach, and my apartment complex is nice, but certainly
I could come visit the beach and I’ll find work I enjoy if I go home to finish
school. I can find a nice apartment anywhere, and I have a dream of living in downtown
Des Moines right near the baseball field. I’ve got a lot of choices and
decisions ahead of me that I need to make in the coming weeks, but at least I
know that for the next 4 months, I have this place. I have a space that I can
visit once or twice a month and relax while I write. A place that allows me to
get out of the house and be productive but also doesn’t that too much effort out of my day off. I’ll
let you know if their caprese panini is any good!
