Who is this Willy person, and what's his obsession with coconuts?

I hardly remember the flight... I remember getting off one plane... Getting on another, and then landing. And being extremely nervous.

My friend, my person, and possibly my soul mate was excited to have me come to visit. I couldn't wait to see her, that much I knew. In the days leading up to my visit, she had me talking to one of her friends that she had met down there through her new boyfriend. His name is Eddie, and he is a really genuine guy. She was already getting me to talk to people and get them to convince me to make my trip a little more permanent...

I remember the plane landing... and once they said it was okay to use cell phones and other gadgets, I turned my phone on. I looked out the windows... Dark. But I could still see palm trees surrounding the buildings... Palm trees. Florida. I felt automatically like I was home. My phone vibrated, and then screamed. Man, I miss that ring tone... It always freaked everyone out. Really, all it meant was that I had a text message.

"Let us know when you land."

It was from my person! I was so excited... I wrote her a text as fast as my little fingers would let me....

"PALM TREES!"

I finally noticed what time it was... Around ten. The two hour time difference still had me wired, even though I had been flying most of the day. I did have a couple cups of coffee... They said they already had plans for that night.... I couldn't wait to drop my things off, get ready and see what all the fuss was about with Florida... Even though I loved it already... Palm trees, for crying out loud! Not Pine or Maple or Spruce! PALM!

My phone screamed again...

"LOL you must be here... We'll meet out outside of baggage claim!"

"PALM TREES!"

"LOL"

I walked off the plane... Dazed. The air still felt so warm and humid. So much more humid than I was used to. It was like taking a drink of water every time I took a breath... but things like that were easy for me to get used to. I had my Strawberry Shortcake backpack strapped to my back and my purse hanging on my side... and it felt like I couldn't get there fast enough... I waited to get on the train, (a train? in the airport?) and my foot was tapping... I couldn't wait to see her.

I walked past security, on my way to pick up my MASSIVE suitcase, when I heard screaming... Good screaming! It was my person! She noticed me first, and I saw her doing our happy dance through the crowd of people... Dancing on her toes, and hopping up and down. Once it was finally okay to run, she and I booked it straight into each other's arms...

"DARLING!"

"I've missed you so bad!"

"PALM TREES!!"

"I know!"

I couldn't let her go... Tears started to form in my eyes, and I knew I never wanted to go that long without my best friend again. So much had happened in such a small amount of time, and she and I really needed each other.

Eddie was standing behind her, which meant that her boyfriend, Jamie was in the car. Even though we still didn't know each other that well, he gave me a hug. My person and I could not stop holding on to each other.... We made our way to grab my bag, our arms still wrapped around each other, and then finally to the car...

Jamie was waiting outside. We threw my things in and climbed inside is Mazda. The air was so humid! It took a little more effort for me to breathe.

"Fa...fa... family butt time!" Eddie called from the seat next to me.

"Say what now?" I had no idea what he was talking about... but once the rules were explained to me, this game, I knew, would be the death of me.

"Oh dear... we're getting her started early...." Manda, my person, groaned from the front seat.

Jamie just started laughing. They were all pulling cigarettes out from their packs, and I couldn't be happier. I hadn't smoked since before I left Salt Lake City. Windows down, humid air streaming in, and me watching the palm trees fly by as we headed to our next destination.

"Family butt time... Any time anyone calls it, whoever in the area that smokes in our little family, or whoever else is around for that matter, has thirty seconds to pull out a cigarette and smoke." Jamie explained. "No matter what they're doing. Seriously."

"They caught me when I was in the shower." Manda started, laughing at the memory. "I was wrapped in a towel, with shampoo still in my hair!"

"Gotcha." I laughed and took a heavy drag. I brought my favorites with me so it shouldn't be a problem. "So... how far away is your house, because I really really really have to change and make it look like I haven't been traveling all day."

"We're not going home." Eddie smiled.

"Uh... k?"

"We're going to the bar! It's part of your initiation to Florida, Love." Manda turned around in her seat to explain. "You have to go to Coconut Willy's. And it's on the way home from the airport."

"Alright...?"

"I want to see how much this girl can drink... Family butt time!"

"Come on, Eddie! I just finished!" Manda moaned as she turned back to face forward.

"I don't mind." Jamie pulled out another one and lit it with his zippo with a smile.

"They don't call me 'Two-beer Mandy' for no reason! Palm trees!" I squealed! I couldn't get over it, still. Everyone just laughed at me.

"Palm trees..." Manda echoed.

Before I knew it, we were pulling up to this infamous bar that Manda had been telling me about while we talked on the phone. Now I was going to see everything and everyone she had been talking about. She didn't say anything bad about Florida, aside from her own person experiences. But those were not typical of every person here... and she still loved it.

Coconut Willy's was underneath a hotel.... There were neon lights, blue and green, with the name in huge letters, and a double decker bus parked in the parking lot, and I could already hear the music blasting from inside... Karaoke. Oh dear... Apparently there were a lot of people from England in the area because of the college program too... Hence the bus sitting out front...

Jamie pulled into the parking lot and snagged a prime space up front, and Eddie called FBT, yet again, as we climbed out and walked towards the doors. They were already being greeted by people lounging around the tables out front... With the palm trees. Names and faces blurred... there were too many to try to remember right now. I knew as soon as I got a couple drinks in me, I would forget them anyway. It had been a long day, and I just needed my brain to stop working.

By the time I finally made it inside with Manda, Jamie and Eddie had already gotten two pitchers of Bud Light for us with four glasses. More names and faces and handshakes and hugs blurred into my mind as we attempted to make our way to the table. They had just pushed another one against two more. So many people. Palm trees. Florida. Home. That's all I could keep thinking. I took a sip of beer... and it tasted like... Beer. Not water, like it tasted in Utah. It tasted like real beer. I knew I was going to like it here.

My glass was never empty. After I would drink even just a little bit, someone would fill it up when I wasn't paying attention, making it almost impossible to keep track of how many pints were actually consumed. I don't remember the shots... I just remember being overly happy to finally be surrounded by people who didn't know everything I had just left behind, and to finally have a grin on my face. I didn't need to worry about running into people here. They were all new. They all had smiles on their faces, and were actually happy. New experiences. New life. New everything. Fresh start.

I stepped outside to take everything in once again... I deep breath in of nicotine, and a sigh of relief out meant only one thing. I wanted to make Florida home.