A little over a year ago I went to a little bar in Orlando called Redlight Redlight for the first time. I had moved back to the area two years prior following graduation and was really struggling with making the city my home. Our bartender had a shirt on that told it's readers "#OrlandoDoesn'tSuck" to which I scoffed, bellied up, and asked him to explain to me why that was the case.
Fast forward one year and I couldn't be happier that Orlando is the city I call home - which is ironic because a month ago I was still considering up and moving to Phoenix, AZ because I thought location was the source of my discontent.
Post grad life is hard, especially when you move 8 hours away from where your friends you've spent the last four years with are. This makes it easy to blame your unhappiness on location as opposed to the lack of effort you've put into exploring your new home and investing in potential friends. It's easy to look at instagram and see your friends all out having a phenomenal time in Atlanta, Minneapolis, or New York City while you pout on your couch about how #OrlandoSucks and you post a photo of wine stained coffee mug.
That night at Redlight Redlight was the start to me truly exploring Orlando and finding the nooks and crannies that make it lovable. I went to Park Ave CD's and purchased a record that same night. A couple weeks after that I went to the Social for the first time to see a band that I had been wanting to see, and thus began my love affair with concerts. Since October of 2014, not a single month has gone by where I have not gone to a show. Whether it be Andrew McMahon at The Beacham (which is by far my favorite concert I've ever attended, btw), the Black Keys at the Amway, or going to Big Guava in Tampa, I've made a point to make live music a priority. Sometimes that even means buying a ticket and going by myself.
A few more notable Orlando mentions include the Stardust Lounge near Lake Eola where I went to a burlesque show and met the Orlando Rugby team that I still spend time with to this day. I recently became an annual pass holder out at Disney which has led to me meeting some of the neatest, most talented individuals in the city that I now get to call friends. I've become a regular at Wekiva Island and have the time of my life giggling at inside jokes with the bartenders and teasing the other regulars. There is also Orlando City Soccer, our own MLS team, right here in Orlando that I go out and support with my fellow Orlandians (is that a thing?)
I suppose what I'm getting at is that maybe the bartender at Redlight Redlight wasn't wrong. Maybe it wasn't Orlando that sucked but rather my attitude. Momma Larson always says to "bloom where you're planted" which maybe isn't such a bad idea - it is springtime, after all.
I suppose what I'm getting at is that maybe the bartender at Redlight Redlight wasn't wrong. Maybe it wasn't Orlando that sucked but rather my attitude. Momma Larson always says to "bloom where you're planted" which maybe isn't such a bad idea - it is springtime, after all.
