I got a rental car today! I rented from Enterprise and they were going to pick me up at 10am.... figures... it's island time and things are slower here; so I got picked up at 11am. I drove around a bit, went to Tavernier and drove back because I couldn't find the place where I am supposed to get a drug test. Oh well, I'll get that done another time.

Then I went on a dive at 1pm. Not the best dive ever, I think I was thinking too much about the job and what I found out... I found out that when she means DM, she mean boat mate. This dive operation is not like most in the caribbean or Mexico where you have a dive guide in the water with you leading the dive. I guess in the US, the coast guard requires 2 people on the vessel at all times; so you have a boat mate and a captain. No guide, you just give a dive brief and tell the divers that the "pool is open". So with that being said, I spent my dive wondering what I should do.... Do I stay and learn other skills? For example: getting some experience teaching, I would also be working closely with the hotel/resort side of things... by all means I don't think that I made a bad decision coming down here, I was just a little shocked to find out that I won't be diving as much as I originally thought I would be. I still think this is a great opportunity for me and if anything I get my foot in the door with teaching. I don't want to feel like it was a total waste of my time and money to go through the IDC!

Anyway... off to bed. Wish me luck tomorrow when I start bright and early.

Here are some pictures of the resort.... very cute!

My first "full" day in Florida!

I can't believe I slept until noon today! Oh well, that was the plan; to catch up on my sleep. Anyway, after I wasted most the morning sleeping I ventured out on my bicycle in search of rentals. I rode to the real estate office that i've been seeing online on carigslist and it was closed or no longer a real estate office; we'll find out tomorrow. So instead I had a drink at Starbucks! Yep... they have a dunken donuts too. Then I rode around Port Largo where I discovered the community park. It's beautiful, safe and even has a community pool kind of like Pirates Cove in Englewood, Co. Very nice! I ended up finding a couple rentals, got some phone numbers and will give them a call tomorrow. Three o' clock rolls around and I've decided that I want to go to The Pilot House which is a glass bottom bar... I choose a table right next to the water so I can overlook the marina and watch the boats come and go..... I order my yummy conch chowder and take a little looksy to my left........a manatee!!! Just cruising along right next to the restaurant. After I get over my shock of already seeing something so amazing and I haven't even been in the water yet, I get some pictures. One of the servers at the bar grabs a pitcher of fresh water and pours it directly into Mr. Manatee's mouth... he loved that!

I'm done with my conch chowder and I'm getting ready to ride my bike home.... then it starts to downpour! Oh well, an excuse to enjoy a rum punch! So it keeps raining and raining and lightning and thundering; but don't worry I don't keep drinking and drinking :) At this point some guy (I think he was drunk) comes over and talks my ear off.... so I ride home in the rain.

Tomorrow I have a rental car coming to pick me up, i'll do some more exploring and finally get a chance to go diving!!!

Key Largo! Arrival day....

I accepted a job in Key Largo Florida! Teaching, DM-ing, reservations in the shop..etc. I'm a little nervous about finding a perfect place to live. I do plan on bring my baby boy Butch down with me in September. I want to make sure it's safe for me and safe for him. I've been told there are some sketchy neighborhoods here; but for the most part very safe.

Today I ate at a very cute place called The Conch House, it's been featured on the food network for it's yummy yummy conch fritters! Best that I've had! I did a little exploring... looking for the nearest grocery store, laundry, parks, etc.

And lastly I went out with my new landlord, Brenda, to a bar called Pilot House. This bar is a glass bottom bar! Meaning you sit at the bar and look down at all the fish swimming around underneath you! Pretty cool!