Top Ten Reasons (Not Including People) That I Miss Tampa, FL by Lizz Straight

**If you're new, welcome to my little sister Deena's blog. She's awesome and funny and as you can see by that very large picture of her big head up at the top of the page there, well, she has a big head. lol Sike, she's beautiful! She is the mother of my two awesome nieces and, dagnabbit, my best friend!! We decided to share a blog to drive more people here. So spread the word (and read her most recent blog post), that we're awesome and we're bloggin' beastly beeeatches!! :)

Ok, I've been gone from Tampa since June 30th and for a place I never intended to live, let alone call home, I really miss my old stomping grounds (I only use this phrase cause Ben B calls me Godzilla b/c of the way I yell at my cats, Itsy and Bitsy.) But I digress. So yeah, I moved to Tampa in December of 2002, but I couldn't really call it home until approximately 2.5 years after that, when I finally began to make my own way in The Bay and create a name and reputation for myself, not tainted, or effected rather (lol) by any other person, group, etc.

Even when I first explored true independence in Tampa, I still had affiliations that I am not totally proud of, but do not regret. I appreciate every one I've ever met in Tampa. EVERYONE. The good, the bad and the extremely ugly, and the fucked up, and the backstabbing, and the two faced, and the dishonest, and especially the manipulative. I forged some of my best friendships, relationships, professional ventures and personal adventures in Tampa. And one day, I may call it home again (after all I never had a BAT in my house in Tampa, but I digress again). However, for now, as I journey across the country in my new position with StoryCorps.org, I don't know where my next home will be. I just know that I miss the last one I've known.

P.S. I couldn't include people in this list because that would be too overwhelming. However, I did find a lot of food related choices on my list lol...

10. Hiro's - Technically this place is in St. Pete, but damn, it's on the north side of St. Pete, which means one you get off the bridge you only have like 7 more mins to drive then you're there. Where is there? The best damn sushi place ever in life! Why do you ask? Well, I'll tell you. lol. After 10pm they have half off sushi and alcohol. Not just beer and wine and rum and coke, and not just California rolls...I'm talking errrthang!! Errrrrthaaaang!! and they open till 2am during the week and 4am on weekends, Wed or Thurs. nights they have karaoke (can't remember which one because I never experienced it, but I'm sure it was awesome), and the ambiance is so fly. The only thing I didn't like about Hiro's was that it was so far, and that it wasn't open 24 hours. Oh, and it gets real cold in there, but I learned my lesson about the temperature the first time and always brought something to wrap up in every subsequent visit.

9. Living along/My routine - Ok, let's get this out of the way: I absolutely love my new job and traveling and living with my co-workers, etc. Fort Wayne, IN is only my first stop, but I think the first one would've made me or broke me and I feel made son! lol Ok, with that said, I loved living alone. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Even when I had no money to pay my rent, even when I had to beg, borrow, and skimp and scrape, I loved every damned minute of living alone. Even when I felt alone living alone. At least I was alone to wallow in my aloneness. I could sing loud as I wanted, come in at 4 am and cook, eat, watch TV, get on line, listen to music, shower and all that without concern that I would be imposing on someone else's peace or space. I loved getting up, getting cafe con leche, working out, meditating and elevating, cooking and eating, napping, doing nothing in the nude or not...It was MY SHIT!! And I loved it. My last year and a half in Tampa was my first time truly living alone and I understand the sanctuary of one's own creative and created living quarters. I had a lot of company, but that was another advantage of living alone; I could have get togethers and game night when ever I wanted!!

8. Cafe Con Leche - For those of you who know me, I am not Cuban (not the poet, but the nationality). Therefore, my affinity for cafe con leche may need some explaining. I used to live behind a place in Tampa called El Oso Blanco. It was walking distance. They serve the best cafe con leche that I have ever had in Tampa. I am the most grouchy morning person ever, so I needed that good strong stuff to wake me up in the mornings/afternoons (lol) and it also helped keep me regular. (what? We all shit. Shut up.) When I started back at USF, I couldn't afford to be late to class everyday cause I was going out of my way to visit El Oso Blanco for cafe con leche. So it was then that I discovered Cakehaus, the little Cuban cafe with the German name. Oh god, this place was awesome for so many reasons, and although their cafe con leche wasn't as good as El Oso Blanco's, it was less than two min from my house, their desserts are off the chain, and their chicken sandwiches almost made this list as an individual listing!!

7. Familiarity with the city - although it took me about 6 years in Tampa before I ever visited Town n Country, I finally got to the point where I felt like I knew that city just as well as Philly, Jacksonville, or Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I loved knowing that it was impossible for me to get lost (for more than 15 min) in Tampa by the time I left, and for someone with no natural sense of direction at all, I am proud of that!

6. Goodtime Charlie's - My second home in Tampa. Although in my early years as a new Tampanian, I spent a lot of time at Black on Black Rhyme, the Uhuru House, and anywhere Kircky C and Poison Dart were playing. I also spent a lot of time at WMNF. However, I say Charlie's is my second home because I was never forced to go there, or felt like I had to go there out of obligation or peer influenced routine. I love that place. I found it ON MY OWN. And they embraced me as a regular, just as quickly and sincerely as I embraced it as my favorite hangout spot. There is really nothing comparable to a place where everybody indeed knows your name (and not because of rumors or some negative reputation attached to it.) This bar was my comfort zone. It epitomized everything I could ever want in a social gathering spot, mainly because I didn't have to be social! I could go there, watch a game, play pool, have a drink, sing karaoke, enjoy some great food, or any combination of those things and that was cool. Always. The staff was always cool. Billy Ray Holiday, the KJ and Nicky, the bouncer/doorman/secret admirer of mine lol are some of the coolest guys I have ever met! My home girl Monica aka Jiggy was my ace boon coon a lot of nights, but like I said I could stroll in there alone and never leave feeling that way.

5. Taco Bus - Yo, this place serves burritos as big as your head with every filling you could ever want, 24 hours a day, horchata to die for, and i mean, what more is there really to say...If you've ever been there, you feel me.

4. Mema's Fish Tacos - I have a membership card. And they are another late night food spot that is so convenient when nothing else is. But the fish tacos also kick ass!! And they serve Guinness Extra Stout. A Tampa staple. I remember the first time I ever went there, and I remember the last. And I will return.

3. Poetry Is... - My radio show on WMNF that I hosted for a little over 5 years. I build the Lizz Straight Ministries Poetry Is... Prison Tour off the back of this radio show. I loved doing this volunteer work (Prison Tour and the show) so much, that Poetry Is... was my favorite hour of the week, always. No matter what. If I was in a shitty mood, I was not when I left the building. That show saved my life and made me a more complete person. If I do return to Tampa, know that Poetry Is... will be a major reason why. (Shout to Anedra and Wally B for taking over the reigns while I'm gone!)

2. Itsy and Bitsy - Ah yes. My babies. My loves. My wonderful, beautiful cats. I love them so much. And after the drama with Pretty Cat and Whitney (Houston) I was so reluctant to get another pet. But, yet, I got TWO! They were my birthday presents to myself last year and I enjoyed every minute of their company (shut up! lol) No matter how much I screamed at them, cussed at them, and wanted to chop them in to little pieces (not really)...they were my most reliable companions. All they ever wanted was to cuddle with me (and tear my screen down on the balcony). I am so grateful that I found Ms. Gayle (shout out to Anedra again for the connection) to watch them and look after them while I'm gone. I will be back for my cats no matter where I settle. They are a part of me.

1. Proximity to my loved ones - 3 hours away from Jacksonville and 3.5 from West Palm, I appreciated the ability to jump in my car and just hit the road to see the ones I love. I put a lot of miles on my car making trips up and down Florida's highways and interstates. I appreciate ever blow out, every ticket (oh shit, that reminds me lol) and every bottle of five hour energy! I could not put in to words how important it is to have family around. Embrace that if you have it, because despite differences or arguments or whatever, some people have no family or loved ones at all.

I would love ya'll's feed back. This week coming I'll post the top ten reasons why I will always remember Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Peace,

LS