I must say I had no idea that I was in such good company with my filthy hair. So glad so many of my fantastic blog readers are grease monkeys, too! 
The Villages
Many of you accurately guessed the location of my afternoon meeting.
I drove about 40 minutes south of Ocala to meet with the associate publisher of a local magazine in The Villages, Florida.
The Villages is an active retirement community, with a population of more than 80,000 residents.
It’s a place where golf carts are nearly as prevalent as regular cars!
To be honest, I kind of want to live there when I retire. The Villages is a happenin’ place! They have activities available for residents all the time. From polo to card games to cooking classes and tennis and golf, there’s something fun going on every single day.
I want in! 
So, at the ripe old age of 26, why was I there this afternoon?
I had a meeting with the associate publisher of The Villages magazine to discuss freelance writing opportunities.
We met at a Starbucks located in the center of The Villages and chatted away for about an hour, discussing story ideas, writing style and more.
I slurped down an iced passion tea before I had a chance to snap a picture.
The meeting went really well and I hope to tackle a freelance piece for the magazine in the near future!
Dinner
I arrived home from The Villages around the same time that Ryan arrived home from work.
Within 15 minutes of walking in the door, we meandered into the lobby to take advantage of the hotel’s dinner buffet.
At long last, a truly delicious hotel meal.
I topped a big salad with the main course for the evening, succulent pulled pork!
I went back for seconds of the pork. Ryan and I were both big fans.
Off for a quick walk outside with Ryan before curling up in bed to read more of Sarah’s Key! Can you believe I’m already more than halfway done? I could not stop reading last night and read for an hour after dinner. I can’t stop!
P.S. The Fashion page was updated today!
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I would love to drive around a golf cart full time! Do they have a ‘Villages’ for the not yet retired? 🙂
i know! i want one with pre-planned fun activities! their agenda is seriously packed!
Whoa, that retirement community sounds AMAZING!!!! That’s somewhere I’d like to retire, too!! So neat that you’ll be writing for them 🙂
When do you hear back on the house??
Not gonna lie – I’d kill for a game of golf cart bumper cars 😉 THat community looks awesome and CONGRATS on the opportunity!
Enjoy your evening, Julie!
Sarah’s Key is a fantastic read – I read it two summers ago and could not put it down. I’m pretty sure I finished it in like two days. 🙂 Congrats on the freelance opportunity!
My aunt and uncle lived in a gated community in Florida which consisted of mostly retired people. I wanted to live there and I was in my teens! It was the coolest place. 🙂
love the dress! my grandma sent me a (facebook) message last week telling me to read Sara’s key! I just ordered it from the lib and saw that you’re reading it too!! During class I have covered your first 4 months of PBF! So obsessed that I made a delish noodle bowl tonight! I hope everything works out with the house 🙂
Umm, The Villages look super cool! I’m definitely moving to FL when I retire! Congrats on the freelance opportunity!
Sarah’s Key is on my list of books to read, glad to hear you’re loving it!
Wow what an amazing retirement community! And congrats on a near future writing gig for them!
Hi Julie! Do you think you could share a bit about what you’re doing to pursue your freelance pieces at some point? It would be great to learn about.
Thanks and congrats on the opportunity. How fun!
I’m not from Florida, but the Villages sounds adorable. I love all the golf carts! Catalina Island (small island off of CA) is like that too. Tons and tons of golf carts of all sizes.
That totally looks like my kind of place! That or Del Boca Vista. 🙂
Good luck with the freelance! I hope it works out!
My parents were looking into moving there when they retire. Not sure if they are still thinking about it, but it looks like a great place to go!
I can’t imagine not knowing what’s for dinner each night! Are there lots of other people also there to enjoy dinner with?
Driving around in golf carts all day? What is not to love?!?!?
Are you enjoying hotel food? Or are you going crazy being away from the kitchen?
They used to have commercials about The Villages here in NY! I haven’t seen one in a long time, but I still remember their catchy little tune! I didn’t realize it amounted to so much.
Oh my I would steal one of the golf carts hehe
I have never heard of the Villages, but my grandparents live in a similar place in West Palm Beach… it’s so lovely and relaxing there!
They should make a movie about that place — I bet they have different cliques in that place and for some reason I think that could be hilarious! I loved Grumpy Old Men so maybe that is why that came to mind.
I’ve heard of The Villages before! What a sweet community for the elderly. Any place where I can drive around in a golf cart all day sounds fun to me!
Love the white dress! I wish I could drive around in a golf cart all the time… 🙂
Hmm…I’m 25 and wouldn’t mind living in The Villages now…it sounds like a cruise! Good luck with the freelance piece!
That’s great on the freelance opportunity, Julie!
So sad to see your “walk with Ryan” but no Sadie! It was a weird phrase to read without her name in there! I’m sure she’s looking forward to being reunited with her mommy and daddy soon. 🙂
Mmm, pulled pork.
Would you say that having a long-standing and successful blog gives you a leg up when trying to land writing jobs? It is cool to think that such a fun hobby can lead to career opportunities!
I’m pretty sure my grandparents used to get that magazine in the mail (even though they live about 2 hours away from the villages themselves!) At any rate…congrats on the new writing opportunity!
I would totally want to live there the second I see a gray hair! 😉
Sounds like a fun place!
That dinner looks really good; definitely not something you’d get at a hotel!
I love all of the golf carts! There is a suburb about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta where everyone drives around in golf carts. It’s not actually a retirement community, just a regular city, haha!
Looks like a really nice meal for a hotel buffet! And that dress is so cute on you.
Congrats on the new gig!! My husband would kill to live somewhere where he could drive a golf cart everywhere!!! 🙂
Love that white dress!
Ahhh how I miss Florida and its senior citizens 🙂
The Villages is so cute. Such a neat area.
I’ve started looking into freelance opportunities (graphic design) and I was wondering if you found this opportunity advertised locally. When you’re freelance technically a job can come from anywhere but I would love to find some good resources for finding freelance jobs that are relatively local.
the woman i met with actually found my blog and contacted me about the job. i know graphic designers i’ve worked with in the past that have then gone out to work for themselves usually get jobs via word-of-mouth. i wish i could be of more help!
YAY SO EXCITING!! Congrats 🙂 My grandparents lived in a 55+ community in North Fort Meyers and I TOTALLY want to live there when I get to that age. They have bingo night, dance parties, shuffleboard tournaments – it’s incredible! They’re out and about more than I am at 26!
nice hotel dinner, for sure!
Sometimes I like to imagine that retirement will be like summer camp, only with a LITTLE less activity and a few more mimosas (at that age, why not just grab life by the balls?!)
maybe you can pull a Cameron Diaz in “In Her Shoes” and move in with someone there! 😀
I want to live there too! It looks so cute!
That actually looks/sounds like a fun retirement village. Usually they are so boring and sleepy! Good luck getting some freelance stuff with them!
Ooh, good luck with getting an article published!!
I would love to retire there! It looks so nice!
My grandparents live in a retirement community and it seriously seems like a blast. They have movie viewings and baking parties and casino nights…and it’s all over by 10, so you can still get to bed early. Gosh, I really am ninety at heart…
you and be both. that sounds fantastic!
Whoa that sounds like a fun place!!
Hope you get a gig with the magazine 🙂
Pulled pork is absolutely amazing on darn near anything, especially when it’s smoked just right. You guys hit the jackpot tonight!
GIrl I want a freaking golf cart. !!!!
Sounds like a fun project! I play golf so get to ride in carts all the time and they’re so much fun. You can totally customize them and I already have ideas for my retirement golf cart.
That dinner does look great. Who knew you could such yummy grub at a long-term stay hotel?
I always hear people say “The Villages” but as an Orlando transplant I didn’t actually know what it was. It looks really nice but I hate how anti-children retirement communities are. Is it really that terrible to have kids as next door neighbors? It’s neat that there are lots of things to do though!
Love your white dress!
Yey for your hotel finally providing a satisfying meal 🙂
Congratulations on this new and exciting freelance opportunity, Julie, that’s awesome! 😀 And you look beautiful in that white dress! Plus, how cool is it that dinner was so tasty and healthy, to boot!? 🙂 xyx
You look lovely in your dress…so summery!
That retirement community sounds awesome! At 27, I’d like to retire there myself!
Sarah’s Key is such an addicting book. I ran through it in a few days because I just could NOT put it down!
Looks like the kind of dinner you’d make at home!
What a nice retirement community! Congrats on the freelace opportunity! Love the dress! 🙂