Tom and I arrived in Orlando, Florida months before the fun and madness of World Cup 1994 hit the city. We were in our early 20s, taking a break from the cold, wet reality of our Cork lives, and indulging in a year-long American adventure.
We had initially moved to stay with my mother in Bradenton, a sleepy west coast town, but Mum decided we needed the excitement of a bigger city. We happily agreed, and got ourselves settled into the tourist mecca of Orlando. Six months later, sitting at the bar at the Orlando Hilton, downing pints in close proximity to Jackie, Packie, McGrath, and Keane, we couldn't help but feel that what we were experiencing was a sign from God: Orlando was indeed the place for us.
It's been over twenty years since we came to Orlando. Our year-long American adventure stretched and stretched until trips home to Ireland began to seem like the adventure. What was it about Orlando that made us stay? Daily doses of blue skies had a lot to do with it. We became dependent on the sunshine. Give us a few days of grey skies now and we find ourselves slumped on the couch contemplating how we'd ever have made it in Ireland.
We also got to reinvent ourselves in Orlando. I went back to college and became a teacher. Tom went to the fire academy and became a fire-fighter. And just as we were remaking ourselves, Orlando was also being remade. The Orlando of 1994 is almost unrecognisable today. While we fondly recall the days of Rosie O’Grady’s, Terror on Church Street, and the Cheyenne Saloon, we celebrate Orlando’s new cultural identity, more in keeping with its red bricked streets lined with moss draped trees.
Orlando’s rebirth brings with it the world class Dr Phillip’s Center for the Performing Arts, a slew of nationally renowned gastro pubs, foodie districts, craft breweries, wineries, and farmers’ markets. Orlando is also home to America’s longest running fringe festival.
We live seven minutes from beautiful Lake Eola, in the heart of downtown; a top notch place to stroll, or run. The new Amway Arena, drawing world class musical acts, is 10 minutes away. Despite World Cup, soccer was an anomaly back in 1994, but Orlando now has its own MLS team, Orlando City, with a new stadium under construction downtown.
We are an hour from Cocoa beach, and an hour from the hills of the Lakeridge Winery, and quaint Mount Dora. Ninety minutes away is the white sanded splendour of Clearwater and St Pete’s beaches. The mega tourist hub of International Drive is a short drive, but we generally avoid all that madness.
Tom works a second job as a medic at Sea World, so there are some touristy interactions. As it happens, it was a Cork man’s arms they put trainer Dawn Brancheau in, right after the orca Tilikum released his grip (though she was well beyond Tom’s help). That was an unusually sad day to work at a theme park.
But living in a tourist destination has its benefits. The main one is the frequency with which our Irish friends and family come to see us; we just know not to delve too deeply into whether it's us or Mickey Mouse they come to see.
Though we will always consider Cork home, being able to depend on blue skies, and living in a dynamic, booming and culture rich city such as Orlando, helps to ease the pangs of homesickness. That, and reliable access to Barry’s Tea.
