Seizing the Daylight in Sarasota!

This week we did the "spring forward" Daylight Savings thing and while others grumble at a lost hour of sleep, I love getting that extra hour of light in the afternoons and evenings and the later sunsets.  Last night I was volunteering at an event that ended at 7:30pm and happily (both for my own sake and the drivers around me) it was still light for my drive home!

Yes, in my deep dive into what makes me happy, I've determined that warm days and sunlight make a much bigger affect on my mood than I'd ever imagined!  I am loving the snowbird life in Sarasota, Florida and feel so much more energetic than I did during those cold, winter days in Colorado!

Of course, as I wrote about when I was exploring San Antonio as a possible snowbird location, the biggest factor in feeling happy in a new location is having friends and one of the reasons I picked Sarasota as a place to settle (at least for 2 months) is that I do have a couple of friends here already!

Becky

I feel so lucky to be sharing a space with Becky, who has a beautiful townhouse in North Sarasota with a spare bedroom, complete with its own private bathroom! Becky, in her usual style, has made me feel so welcome with cute amenities (even a Keurig machine with a sweet violet teacup and a creamer filled with q-tips in the bathroom!)

I met Becky last summer at a Meetup in Boulder and we became fast friends!  She's a bit of a "sunbird" spending a lot of her summer months in the Boulder area, so we are a perfect complement to one another!

Not only is Becky a supportive friend in every way, she's a kindred Carpe Diem spirit! On March 8th, her sister's birthday and International Women's Day, she hosted a little party for her sister and we played Hearts and 99 with a deck of playing cards that had pictures of accomplished women! Yay, Becky, for, not only having a fun party for your sister's birthday, but also celebrating IWD with a perfectly-themed deck of cards! Becky also made us a most delicious dinner of shrimp curry which we enjoyed with sangrias and tiramisu for dessert! Yum!

Becky with International Women Playing Cards!

Bryan 

Long-time friend, Bryan, is also in nearby Longboat Key, enjoying his new boat, Honey Badger!

I met Bryan about 15 years ago on good ol' Match.com. I've always said that online dating hasn't worked out too well for me in finding a romantic partner, but it sure has resulted in finding some of my best friends.

Bryan has an awesome sense of humor and I just love his sense of play! He introduced me to this part of the country years ago because he, too, enjoys the snowbird life. He has a beautiful home in Louisville, but he's been coming out to Long Boat Key in the winters for several years and this year, he found a new "honey"!

Bryan gave me a tour of Honey Badger, which is a beauty with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, so Bryan's considering becoming a "Live aboard" (as I guess those who live on their boats are called.)

New friends 

Both Becky and Bryan have introduced me to their friends and I'm meeting new people every day through Meetups and Bumble.  All these years of being single have helped me feel comfortable going places on my own and I'm getting better at striking up a conversation with people I meet.

I have so many more pictures and things I'd like to write about, but I will save those for another day and another blog post!