I must say I had no idea that I was in such good company with my filthy hair. So glad so many of my fantastic blog readers are grease monkeys, too! 
The Villages
Many of you accurately guessed the location of my afternoon meeting.
I drove about 40 minutes south of Ocala to meet with the associate publisher of a local magazine in The Villages, Florida.
The Villages is an active retirement community, with a population of more than 80,000 residents.
It’s a place where golf carts are nearly as prevalent as regular cars!
To be honest, I kind of want to live there when I retire. The Villages is a happenin’ place! They have activities available for residents all the time. From polo to card games to cooking classes and tennis and golf, there’s something fun going on every single day.
I want in! 
So, at the ripe old age of 26, why was I there this afternoon?
I had a meeting with the associate publisher of The Villages magazine to discuss freelance writing opportunities.
We met at a Starbucks located in the center of The Villages and chatted away for about an hour, discussing story ideas, writing style and more.
I slurped down an iced passion tea before I had a chance to snap a picture.
The meeting went really well and I hope to tackle a freelance piece for the magazine in the near future!
Dinner
I arrived home from The Villages around the same time that Ryan arrived home from work.
Within 15 minutes of walking in the door, we meandered into the lobby to take advantage of the hotel’s dinner buffet.
At long last, a truly delicious hotel meal.
I topped a big salad with the main course for the evening, succulent pulled pork!
I went back for seconds of the pork. Ryan and I were both big fans.
Off for a quick walk outside with Ryan before curling up in bed to read more of Sarah’s Key! Can you believe I’m already more than halfway done? I could not stop reading last night and read for an hour after dinner. I can’t stop!
P.S. The Fashion page was updated today!
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My in-laws retired to The Villages from PA several years ago. They LOVE it. They have a shiny red street legal golf cart that turns heads wherever we go. We joke that it can be a little creepy to be there for longer than a week and sometimes feels like The Truman Show. It’s a beautiful place! FYI, young people CAN live there, they just encourage you to be 55 or older!
That’s so awesome! Totally been to that Starbux so many times! Congrats!
I dream to retire somewhere that all I need to get around in is a golf cart!
I might have to re-read Sarah’s Key. I don’t really rememer loving it. . . I remember it being good but not loving it.
That salad. . .now that looks like something I’d love.
I think you would be the hit of the community. However, I think the sight of you might kill the old men. They can’t handle the excitement.
Can I share a dirty secret about The Villages? Their STD rate is like, REALLY high. It was on a news report I heard within the last couple of years or so. Legit! I guess old people need to get it on, too… lol
Does anyone else have their theme song stuck in her head now? The vil-la-ges, Florida’s friendliest home town! duna dunt dunt dah dunnn!
I love The Villages! It’s soooo adorable there! My mom’s aunt and uncle are “snow birds” and live up there in the winters. I love all the golf carts and the shopping centeres are adorable!
I love going to The Villages when I visit my grandma in Leesburg! It’s so cute, outdoor happy hour is fun, and the thai restaurant there is fantastical!
How fun! My dad just moved to The Villages and my sister (24) moved with him. She is super bored and was probably hanging out at the Starbucks while you were there, job searching on her mac. She gets SUPER excited when she spies anyone below the age of 40 hanging around town. Its just as I pictured it, thanks for the pics, since I can’t see to get them to send some my way.
Gotta love The Villages. People there are busier than before their retirement. Between the pickleball, softball, happy hours, and 1500+ different clubs it’s no wonder people can find retirement bliss in The Villages.
Hi Julie,
My name is Jane and I’m with Dwellable.
I was looking for blog posts about The Villages to share on our site and I came across your post…If you’re open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you 🙂
Jane
Good Morning,
My name is Ryan McCabe and I am the Director of Marketing for The Villages. I ran across this article today and wondered if anything ever came out of your meeting with The Villages Magazine. We are currently looking for a full time copy righter to join our Marketing team and wanted to reach out to you.