Dreamstime

Key West, Florida is more than a place. It's a spirit, a funky energy that enters your soul and takes residence in your worldview as well as your inner vision. A state of mind more than a city; a way of life more than a place to live. It’s a lifestyle as much as a destination. All expressed in the absurdist poetry that is Key west, a language not spoken anywhere else in the country.

But even recognizing all this, I didn’t fully have a grasp on the essence of this city until I spotted several elderly men playing Bocce ball. I asked another observer if lawn bowling is popular because many people of Italian descent live in Key West. “Oh no,” she chuckled. “It’s popular because you can play bocce with one hand and hold a drink in the other.” Welcome to Key West!