First there was Gatorland. It was my first time there although I've driven past the entrance hundreds of times. It's been around since 1949 so it's one of the oldest attractions in Central Florida and it lived up to the hype. I loved it so much I'm thinking about getting an annual pass so that I can go anytime I want. It's even open on holidays which is great because it will give me someplace to go on Thanksgiving and Christmas when I'm all alone.
There were 28 of us that went on that trip. My favorites are the white gators, they don't even look real. It was really hot that day and all that water makes it feel even more humid than normal, if that's even possible. It was a sweaty good time.
Afterwards we all went out to lunch and I had fun getting to know people a little bit better.
Several people from the Gatorland event were at my next outing to The Melting Pot. It's a fondue restaurant only a couple of miles away from where I work so it was the perfect event to attend on a weeknight. We took up two long tables in the bar area and we all ordered the tasting menu. At a restaurant where most dinners are upwards of $50, the $19 tasting menu with cheese and chocolate fondues and a salad was perfect for my miniscule budget. Everything was delicious and it's the perfect way to get to know people because you're all sharing the different pots of fondue. I was reluctant to leave that evening, it was so much fun, but because I went there directly from work, Charlie was stuck at home for almost 13 hours. She was a very good girl, though, no accidents!
My next event was probably my favorite - brunch at Fort Wilderness which is a unique Disney "resort" campground with cabins to rent as well as space to bring your own RV. I had only been to Fort Wilderness once, Taz and I went there with my sister and brother in law waaaaaaay back in 1998. We had just finished a birthday/Thanksgiving breakfast at nearby Wilderness Lodge and we hopped on a boat to go explore. We only got as far as the gift shop so this trip to Fort Wilderness was virgin territory for me. I had no idea how huge this resort really is. You have to take a bus from the parking lot to the restaurant so I got to see all the cabins and some beautiful scenery. You don't feel like you're in Florida when you're there, it looks like parts of California so I felt very at home. Plus, I'm a cowgirl at heart so being there made me want to jump on a horse and ride away.
The food at the buffet was really good. I don't feel that way about most Disney buffets, I think some of them are mediocre, at best, but this one was tasty with a good variety and actually worth the price. I would go back any day. The company was great too, I sat at a table of all women and we had such a fun time.
My final social event was at the movies, a few of us went to see The Lion King. I don't have any pictures, unfortunately. I tried but the theater was too dark so nothing came out. It's one of those dine-in theaters. It was my first time to try this one and I have to say I wasn't impressed with my food. I ordered potato skins, which is a favorite treat, but they were pretty tasteless and they were very skimpy with the sour cream. I enjoyed the theater experience, and the movie was great, but next time I'll stick to popcorn.
After all this Meetup fun, I am enjoying a quiet weekend. I have met some fun people, had a few laughs but I'm worn out from having to put myself out there, trying so hard to make some new friends and keep the loneliness at bay. I need a quiet weekend just to recharge my batteries so that I can get out there again.
At least that's what I'm telling myself. The reality is that I can't keep doing these Meetups all the time because it costs too much, I actually had a few more planned and I canceled them. And I'm home alone because no one else wanted to make any plans with me. If I give myself too much time to think about all of this, I'll cry, so it's time to get up off this couch and do something by myself.
Maybe I'll go back to Gatorland, at least I know the gators love me.
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