Daymarks and Beacons

I am an individual greatly affected by space and place. I can’t write in a messy house, I require a specific type of music, and white walls are the bane of my creative existence. This is often my excuse for retreating to south Florida from the Jersey Shore—freezing temperatures and overcast skies send me reeling into human hibernation with a hot water bottle and the first four seasons of How I Met Your Mother, with little hope of motivating myself to work on my own writing. I did read once that a writer must learn to write anywhere, anytime. I have not reached that pinnacle of writerly discipline, but it is definitely a goal I aspire to. Inspiration is everywhere, if we can possibly pry ourselves out of the mundane and into the extraordinary. Regardless, I am still a writing space hunter. I thrive off of driving through small beach towns in search of cozy coffee shop nooks to curl up with my notes and laptop. A few weeks ago, a number of my closest college friends rambled into West Palm for some nostalgia and sunshine, and for their last night in town, we decided to eat at the Italian restaurant at the famous Breaker’s Hotel on Palm Beach. After dinner, we took a walk around the hotel and courtyards. This place really is a sight to behold. A rule when visiting any of Henry Flagler’s landmarks: If it looks like gold, it is gold! And the history behind the hotel is even more interesting. For most of my time living in West Palm Beach, I have always kind of held my nose up at The Breakers. “Oh yeah, that’s where the rich, old Palm Beachers go to spend all their mountains of money that they could be using to help the  poverty stricken areas right over the bridge…yada-yada-[more self-righteous remarks]-yada-yada…” But I have to admit, I was overcome with the elegance and beauty of the architecture of this hotel. It’s truly a work of art, and while I will usually prefer the homey and coziness of a family owned coffee shop, the flowering courtyard (right next to the coffee/giftshop) of the Breakers was where I decided to write my 500 word minimum for today. Not only was this a great spot aesthetically, but it was also a GREAT people watching locale. I’d recommend this spot to anyone who needs a quiet, but interesting, place to study, read, or write. And the best part is, you don’t have to pay for parking (like EVERYwhere else on the Island).Lesson learned: don’t cut yourself off from interesting places because of class prejudices.