On our day of travel, we encountered not one but two surprises.
The first, on our way to the Miami airport with time to spare, we found Duffy's Tavern, a perfect spot. Dark but friendly with lots of atmosphere, we sat at the bar (able to because they'd asked a regular to move one seat over), had a beer and struck up a conversation with the woman. Friendly, open and willing to engage, it was wonderful - exactly why we go to local spots - to connect with others and feel at home.
Later, with three hours to while away at the Baltimore airport, we searched and found not a posh spot but another friendly watering hole. There, squeezed in between others at the bar and served by a grandmotherly type, we ordered beers (reasonably priced) and again struck up a conversation with a young woman, a biomedical engineer. We connected and talked of our jobs, sports, skiing and snow boarding, and her boyfriend and our kids. Two hours flew by. Leaving, I felt like I'd made a friend, and maybe I had.
We choose places like these because life for us is more about the people than the food or frills. This morning reading my, you guessed it, New Yorker, the food critic was doing a review of a NY diner. Perfectly attuned to what we seek, I smiled, took a photo and knew that while a travel day, it was just as good as every other day of our trip.
Making Connections
Ps: At the festival we'd done the same. One couple, after I'd asked about sharing their table (taken), had called us over when there was space. From Maine and now Florida, he was a retired Ranger. We talked of his time in the military: his deployments, her adjustments to living on base, his time as a Ranger instructor, and, now adjustment and wish to find some part-time work. Finally, after having told of our connection to the Army, his admiration of Army helicopter pilots.
At the same table, in the middle of our conversation, another couple sat. He was the leader of the band from the day before. We talked music and Islamorada, family and past lives, and in doing so, found that they too had a connection to Maine. Three couples, enjoying the night, music and people. Friends for the moment, but a good time forever.
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