why i miss pensacola

if you've ever visited fairhope, you were probably instantly charmed by it, just like i was. it's beautiful, small, right on the water, has a funky little downtown surrounded by acres upon acres of rolling hills and farmland. there's no doubt it has appeal. i was in love with it for a long time.

so much so that i couldn't wait to leave pensacola. the town where i spent 5 years of my life. i probably spent a good year or two daydreaming about life in fairhope.

well, as the sayings go

hindsight is 20/20....

and

the grass isn't always greener on the other side....

we came to fairhope for good reason. no doubt it was a smart move in the direction of "the american dream." good schools, low crime rate, higher pay. and most importantly, my husband has a good job here.

but on our first drive eastbound on interstate 10 after our move, when we passed the pensacola exits, i burst into tears at the thought of never taking that road home again. even still, it doesn't feel like our move is permanent. every place i've ever left i was at total peace with closing the door to that chapter. i packed, i moved, and i moved on. (well, ok, i do miss auburn a lot, but not in a way that it feels like i'm returning "home" when i visit.) not so much with pensacola.

and people are perplexed to hear this. they can't imagine that living in fairhope would somehow be less pleasing than living in pensacola. after all, pensacola is hot, it has one of the largest populations of homeless per capita, it's a hub for sex trafficking and meth use, it's one of the poorest counties in the nation, hurricanes hit and some people never recover, the drinking water is terrible, cancer rates are suspiciously high, there's not a lot to do besides go to the beach, crime is on the rise, etc. doesn't sound appealing does it? you'd be surprised.

so. entertain my words for a moment and allow me to explain.

1. pensacola welcomes newcomers. it's a navy town, a beach town, a college town, and has a few small industries. it's used to people coming and going, the ebb and flow of strangers moving in and friends moving away. i moved to pensacola without knowing a soul (well, ok, i knew one person but it's not like we ever hung out just the two of us--we had a lot of mutual friends). and although there was an adjustment time, i grew out of the loneliness phase pretty quickly. i went through a drive-thru late one night and was astounded at how nice the guy was when he asked me what i wanted to drink. southern hospitality thrives in pensacola.

2. the beach. pensacola's best kept secret. everyone knows it has a beach--many are surprised it has much else. but not everyone knows that it is probably the most beautiful beach that you can find on the gulf coast. even a few miles in either direction towards destin or gulf shores, you won't find pensacola's paradise-like beaches. it just ain't the same.

3. the people. like i said, southern hospitality thrives in pensacola. bad food service was rare, nearly everyone is friendly, and i often found myself in conversation with total strangers. in general, i'm an introvert. i don't like crowds, and i sweat profusely in new social situations. however, when i am put in situations where i don't know many people, i can force myself to take on extrovert tendencies in order to not be the stick-in-the-mud my family likes to make fun of me for being as a child. so, when i got invited to community events, i went, i met people, and i had great conversation. i truly enjoyed my (pre-kid) late evenings in downtown pensacola. i didn't party; i didn't bar hop--i usually sat on a front porch somewhere and mingled with pensacola's finest.

and, i've mentioned before that i always had good neighbors. you'd be surprised how hard that is to come by these days.

4. the art community. fairhope likes to pretend it's an artists' community. HA! they just have enough money to take a hobby and make somewhat of a business out of it, not really worrying about profit or making a living. not that i haven't met true artists in fairhope--i have. great ones. but i met a lot more in pensacola. people that inspired my own creativity and made me miss the hours upon hours i spent at an easel with a paintbrush in my hand. i will say, disappointedly, that gallery nights in pensacola have turned into somewhat of a free-for-all, i'll-pretend-to-be-interested-in-your-art-if-you-have-free-booze, kind of thing. it used to be pretty cool. sometimes it still is.

5. the history. pensacola is (arguably) one of the first civilizations in america. i mean, old. i have lived in both of pensacola's historic districts and i would do it 100 times over. it didn't come without it's challenges, but there is nothing like walking down the streets of an old and established neighborhood. every house is different, and some houses still have the horse tie poles out front--you know, from when people took a horse to their friend's house. what?! how cool is that?! history, people! there's nothing like it. i walked the streets of my neighborhood countless times and it never got old. trust me, the appeal of a brand new house in suburbia is wearing off quickly.

have you ever taken a history tour of pensacola? i know it sounds boring (and maybe i'm a bit of a history buff at heart), but i'd say it's worth it. i think it's important to know where you came from and who came before you.

6. the food. hi my name is dana and i am a foodie. i hate most chain restaurants. i love to support local economies. and i love good food. you know that saying "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"? lies. lies straight from the pits of salad-eating and low-fat diet hell. there are meals from years ago in pensacola that i still remember. now don't get me wrong--i also like to eat healthy. it's a big part of our lifestyle. but denying yourself a delicious and innovative meal for the sake of dieting? well, it's just silly. if it's good enough to remember for years to come, then it's worth it. and i can say, without a doubt, i've eaten some of the best meals of my life in pensacola. when someone asks me where to eat in pensacola, they are not usually prepared for the answer i have to give them. or the enthusiasm with which i describe the food ;) do not talk to me if you ate at olive garden on your anniversary or birthday. with the delicious local fare abounding in pensacola, there is just no excuse.

7. the traditions, celebrations, and festivals. i have a terrible thing to admit to you. this year--yes, as a non-pensacola resident--was the first year i saw the blue angels show on the beach. all the other years it either got rained out, i was working, pregnant, or with a newborn. and we finally made it. and let me tell you something: it was incredible. it made me want to double fist pump and shout "yeah, 'merica!" if you don't go to any other event, make it to see the blue angels. but if you're like me and it just isn't in your favor, there are tons of other things to do: art festivals, parades (mardi gras is actually pretty big), cultural celebrations, evenings in old seville...all totally worth it. get out! see your town!

8. the blend of people. you know how some cities and towns have a "look"? i don't think pensacola has that. there's not a single defining group of people that is pensacola. we have it all. it's not as much of a cultural mix as some other larger urban areas, but for it's size, pensacola has a lot of different types of people: navy people, students, hipsters, hippies, beach bums, snow birds, deep south faithfuls, cultural and ethnic mixes, old money, new money, no money, and transplants from all over. you can be yourself and not blend in or stand out.

9. the trains. this probably wouldn't make everyone's list. after all, the trains arguably bring about a lot of negatives to pensacola. but after years of hearing trains all night long, they got to be a soothing sound of home. we could even pick out the different drivers. like there was this one "happy horn" guy that seriously was a little too active with his whistle blowing. those were the only times the train got to be a little obnoxious...but in a funny way. like, "here comes happy horn again..."

we were having dinner in downtown pensacola a few weeks ago and a train went by. i instantly lost my train of thought (no pun intended) and warmly exclaimed "oh, the train!" probably an odd reaction to some, but my husband and i instantly shared the same fond memories. now, i hear cows, donkeys, and frogs. not a bad trade, but i'll always love the sound of a train.

10. the helping community. if you want to know the true heart of pensacola, you should have seen it after the flood this year. i was moved to tears at the community efforts to get the town back on it's feet. i was heart-broken, humbled, and inspired all at the same time. there are several waterways that run through baldwin county, and this community experienced flooding of it's own. but (with the exception of my husband's beard club) i didn't hear of any community efforts to help those affected. i can't help but wonder why.

pensacola also has some very poor areas of town, affected by many terrible things. i'm not exactly sure why this is, and i know there is a lot more to it than meets the eye or that can be explained by too many people, but that doesn't mean it's forgotten. both in the past and the present there have been organizations and outreach programs to try and help these people the best way they know how. i don't know if there will ever be a solution. but at least someone is trying. if you are in need in pensacola, you are not alone, and there is always some place you can go.

i know good and well, there are times when the health, safety, and well-being of your family comes first. but just because a place is broken, poor, and abused does not mean you should walk away and dust it under the rug. it just means it needs more love. 

there are pensacola communities that recognize the need to love it's people. and that is irreplaceable. there is nothing better we can do in this world than to love people; to be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone else.

after learning to love pensacola so much, i know that i have to give fairhope the same amount of time before i can quit half-heartedly telling people i'm adjusting. and i know there are many places on this earth that i could grow to love just as much. (in fact, every time i take those silly "where should you live?" quizzes, i always get the northwest...which makes me curious as to the real reason why i like the show "portlandia" so much...) i'm not trying to make pensacola out to be the best town there is. i'm not that foolish. but i just want people to understand why it is that we left a little piece of our hearts there, as corny as that sounds.

take it from a person who learned the hard way: appreciate your city--the place you are in--at the given moment. love it while you can. love on it while you can. appreciate and learn about it while you can.

there's something great about every town. i'm just a little partial to pensacola ;)