I wanted to call this post Orlandon’t or more accurately in my case- Orlandoodoo, Orlandookie, I’m sure there’s more- a reference that is more personal than globally accurate- but that’s not entirely fair. Orlando isn’t terrible, though it is everything I imagined- which is an airless strip mall city- (reference for this is the movie Florida Project), but also a tiny bit more pleasant and interesting- again the strip malls and roadside motels- they’re a throw back and fit so nicely with the vision of motoring through Florida- (reference for this is also Florida Project). It is the kind of city that I’m happy to pass through- quickly, without stopping- as a passenger in a car, overwhelmed by the sprawl, immediately tired by all that sun. It’s miserable when I’m the driver trying to navigate this maze and also when the driving is non stop, the stopping from the traffic is non stop, and also when the aforementioned sun is out in full force- even when it’s not out in full force, it’s too much. I have not walked much here, I’ve driven to places to walk, I’ve walked out of the house to get into the car, but I haven’t walked out of the house to a place, accomplished a thing, and walked back. The charming and unexpected aspects of Orlando include: lots of trees! There are lots of trees with Spanish moss- as one guy from Puerto Rico said- trees with hair- and also lakes, so it’s not just concrete and Disney plastic- there’s some lovely nature. Also, I just discovered that the library delivers books to your house!
The adventures here have been minimal so far. I’ve mostly been finishing up some design projects and trying to get the courage to do some car camping, and by courage I mean - a thing I’ve learned about myself is that I really like having a bed and a bathroom and I’m less excited at the thought of not having them. Another thing that’s been odd is I haven’t really talked to a lot of people here. No random conversations which I love so much, and that probably affects my outlook on this city- because I’ve loved the crappiest places when I’ve met and chatted with the people who live there. So, the sour Orlando outlook could easily switch with one solid conversation. Also, this weekend promises a rodeo in Arcadia. And, get ready- there will be lots of photos! That will live in my camera and will probably take 6 months to land on this here blog. JKJKJKJKJK. Not really. Really. Ok, byeeee.