When I first moved to St.
Petersburg, I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay.
I had no friends, my family lived a thousand miles away, and I was alone. I sat in my kitchen wondering why I was here when someone knocked on my door. The neighbor brought over a box of donuts and a carafe of coffee and welcomed me to the neighborhood. She apologized for not coming over sooner, but her son was getting married in Vegas. She invited me to go to the market with her on Saturday. I had nothing to do, and little to eat in the fridge, so I agreed. Since it had been early morning shipping, I didn’t think about how hot it was outside. I would have normally stayed home and listened to the air conditioner run, but I will never do that again. She told me St. Petersburg’s Saturday morning market had been there since 2002. The downtown area had taken over the area on Saturday mornings from 9 AM to 2 PM. it features live music, excellent food, and a variety of vendors. Their wares went from fresh eggs and goat cheese from a local farm and Cajun spices and handmade crafts from locals. She told me entire families come and there are kid-friendly events. When we finally got back home, I realized I had made a new friend, and I actually had a good time. It was good to know there were other people in the neighborhood who were living alone. Living alone in St. Petersburg doesn’t have to be lonely.