by James Coulter
One year passed since I moved out of Polk County. Recently, my editors were kind enough to finance a business trip allowing me to return to the county and visit for a week. These are some of the highlights of my trip.
Thurs. Apr. 3, 2025 (My Arrival)
My trip began at Raleigh-Durham Airport. Normally, my visits to the airport are smooth and uneventful. However, this time around, I was lucky I even managed to not miss my flight.
I arrived at the airport around 11 AM, about an hour and a half before my flight. Normally, I would go through check-in and security without any hassle and with enough time to chill at the gate before my flight. Not this time. Because, no joke, I was forced to go through security three times!
The first time around, I made it through the queue and x-ray. However, my reusable water bottle was filled with liquid, so they would not let me pass until I emptied it. So, I went back into the terminal to one of the bathrooms to dump out my water.
The second time around, I experienced a problem with my boarding pass. Apparently, the birth date on my pass did not match the date on either my license or passport. So, I had to go to the check-in counter to have a new boarding pass printed with the correct date.
Third time was the charm. I went through the wheelchair lane (which they told me to take, seeing as I already waited in line twice at this point and did not want to miss my flight). I finally made it through. No problems with my pass or the x-ray. However, it did not help that I still had to take off my belt and my shoes. (Seriously? One guy sneaks a bomb in his shoes two decades ago and we still have to do this?)
Good news! I made it to my flight on time. Bad news? I misplaced my passport and thought I had left it at the service desk. No chance I was going through all that mess again at the risk of missing my flight. So, I went onto the plane thinking I had lost my passport. (And I’m going on a cruise in a month, no less!) Fortunately, I found the passport in my bookbag when I landed.
Speaking of landing, I landed safe and sound at the Orlando airport. Normally, I don’t worry about flying. I’ve flown many times before. And, statistically speaking, it’s still the safest way to travel. However, all of the news stories about plane crashes did not make me feel safe this time around.
I got off my plane and went to the rental car place to get my car. It was a sleek black Mitsubishi compact. Took me a while to get acquainted with my new vehicle, but I drove out of the airport garage without any hassle or hiccup.
Drove to the nearest Taco Bell for a Baja Blast to rest and take my meds before hitting the road. I took the back roads through Kissimmee. All my life living down in Florida, I never drove on I4 and I do not intend to. I would sooner play Russian roulette, and I feel that would be much safer. (For the record, I have driven on the interstate in Virginia, but the interstate up there and down here are almost night and day.)
Not going to lie: when I approached Davenport and saw the “Entering Polk County” sign, I nearly teared up. Finally, after one year, I was back home. I am still sore that I was forced to move (due to personal family drama I would rather not divulge). But, for the moment, I was glad to be back.
I dropped by Winter Haven to have dinner with my editor Kip Kirchberg and his wife Jody. Originally wanted to go to Bowen Yard, but it was closed. So, we went to Adler’s Burgers instead.
I had the Bad Hombre burger with grilled whiskey onions and jalapeños. It was nice and spicy, but I added a splash of hot sauce and a few squirts of siracha sauce for some added heat. Kip only shook his head and told me I was going to get heartburn. (Joke’s on him: I did not.)
Finally arrived at the Airbnb I was staying at. It was a nice place along Lake Howard. It even has a pool and a fire pit. The bedroom and bathroom were clean and nicely furnished. It even had some snacks and coffee. (I don’t drink coffee, but I do eat chips.) My hosts were a local gal named Cali and her husband. I recommend looking up their place on Airbnb. They have some really nice digs.
And that was my journey from Virginia to Florida. Stay tuned for my next few articles where I detail my stay in Polk County and all the places I revisited.
