Key West: A Love Letter to Island Time, Art, and Escapism

I’ve only been to Key West one other time, but it’s a place that’s stayed with me ever since.

Brett surprised me on our honeymoon twenty years ago with a trip that began on Little Palm Island and carried us on to Key West — a dream come true for a lifelong Parrothead. Growing up with Jimmy Buffett’s stories of island life, I had imagined this very moment: a salty breeze, sun-warmed streets, and an easy, carefree rhythm that invites you to slow down and stay awhile.

We stayed at a resort perched at the southernmost point of the continental United States, where the land feels like it gently gives way to the sea. There was something quietly powerful about being at the edge — waking to soft light spilling across the water, ending each day with the sense that there was nowhere else to go but inward, into rest, presence, and wonder. It felt like a perfect beginning to our time in Key West.

One of the most unforgettable moments of the trip was taking a seaplane out to Dry Tortugas. It was a lifelong dream of mine — landing on the water in a seaplane, just like something straight out of a Jimmy Buffett song. Watching the island fall away beneath us, then touching down on open water surrounded by endless shades of blue, felt surreal and deeply symbolic. It was one of those rare moments when a long-held dream quietly whispers, this is it. And to make it even more memorable, I got to be a “co-pilot” on the way back and had a grin from ear to ear the whole way back! I won’t ever forget this trip!

Here’s a little video of some of the beauty I experienced from the sky. The water was so clear you could even see sea turtles & dolphins!

Back on the island, we wandered through the Ernest Hemingway Home, where I fell in love with the lush, slightly untamed gardens and the layers of history tucked into every corner. The six-toed cats lounged everywhere throughout the property, completely unbothered, as if they had always been the true keepers of the place. I think there are 61 of them in total.

And everywhere we went, roosters wandered freely through the streets — hopping onto sidewalks and fences, crowing whenever they pleased, which always cracked Brett & me up — a constant reminder that Key West plays by its own rules.

Some of my favorite memories lived in the simplest moments. Sitting at Margaritaville with a margarita in hand, salt on the rim, and nowhere else to be or savoring a key lime martini — tart, bright, unmistakably Key West — as the afternoon stretched lazily into the evening. These small rituals felt like an extension of the island itself: unhurried, sun-soaked, and full of joy.

Want a little taste of Key West at home? Grab my free recipe card for a Key Lime Martini (or Margarita) — a small ritual of island time I think you will LOVE.

Walking beneath swaying palms and watching golden sunsets spill across the water felt like stepping into a story I had longed to live. Every detail — laughter drifting from a corner café, sunlight glinting off sailboats, the quiet hush of a narrow street, live music everywhere — felt alive with possibility.

I brought home more than memories. I brought sketches and small palm tree paintings made in those moments of wandering — little pieces of the island that now live in my studio. They remind me that inspiration doesn’t always arrive with something new; sometimes it waits patiently inside moments we’ve already lived, ready to be revisited.

That feeling — of stepping out of the everyday and into something lighter — is something I think about often. It’s why I believe escapism doesn’t have to be dramatic or far away. Sometimes it looks like a trip to an island; other times it’s a quiet ritual, a painting, or a moment of beauty woven into an ordinary day. I share more about this idea in The Art of Escapism: Fun Ways to Create More Joy in Your Life, where I explore simple, playful ways to invite that same sense of ease and delight into daily living.

Key West returned me to something Jimmy Buffett always captured so beautifully: that life is meant to be met with curiosity, laughter, and a willingness to linger in beauty wherever it appears. Even though I’ve only visited Key West twice, I carry that feeling with me — in my art, in my heart, and in the quiet knowing that some places change us forever.

If this story spoke to you, you can continue the feeling in The Art of Escapism: Fun Ways to Create More Joy in Your Life, or explore my Key to Paradise Painting Collection inspired by slow mornings, salt air, and the art of lingering.

Each piece is an invitation to return to that feeling of ease, possibility, and JOY.

With sunshine & love,

Laura☀️