Until I actually sat down and started writing the first entry for my blog, I had intended to be very upfront about who I am and not hide behind a pseudonym. However, my boyfriend pointed out that he didn’t want his parents to Google me and find my byline on an entry like this – and forgive me for not wanting to scandalize my Internet-savvy grandmother.

After a pitcher of beer at P. Larry’s and the 9:40 showing of Talladega Nights, my boyfriend and I somehow got on to the topic of strip clubs. Being from a small town in Ohio, the strip club experience was completely foreign to me. After the movie was over, the conversation returned to stripping. The joking turned semi-serious after I explained to my boyfriend that, although I’d never been to one, I was curious and would try anything once. Plus, if we were ever going to take a trip to a tittie bar, it seemed only seemed natural that it would take place after our “white trash evening” of Bud Light and a NASCAR movie.

We laughed and joked the whole way to Fort Myers. We finally pulled into the parking lot of a strip joint on Fowler Street around midnight. Understandably, I was a little nervous. I headed straight to the bar to get a dose of liquid courage.

“A double, please,” I said to the bartender. She smiled like she knew I was a first-timer.

Looking around the bar, I was really surprised to see how many girls my age were there who weren’t naked. It seemed a lot like any normal (sort of skanky) bar on a Friday night, with people hanging out and drinking – except that a decent portion of the people there were topless women. Granted, there were some sleazy-looking dudes getting lap dances… But that aside, it seemed fairly, well, normal.

I was just beginning to feel comfortable when the bartender handed me my drink. As I took the first sip, my eyes wandered to the other side of the bar. I made eye contact with a guy across the bar – and almost dropped my drink when I realized it was someone I knew. Make that two people I knew.

I was so busted.

Two of my co-workers had also apparently decided that Friday night was a good night for a strip club. We said our hellos and greeted one another like you would at any bar… then sort of smiled awkwardly at one another once the reality of the situation hit. All four of us were *so* busted. I didn’t think it was quite the time to explain that it was just a field trip for me, and not part of my regular routine.

Of course, they were two guys and I was a girl with my boyfriend. I’m sure they probably think we’re pervy and get off on that kind of thing. Really, I was just curious – and trust me, my curiosity has been quenched. I think I’ve learned all I need to know and can now mark “tittie bar” off my list of things to do before I die.

Of course, as we were leaving, one of them came up to us, laughing and saying “I’m going to e-mail everyone on Monday and tell them I saw you here.”

I came away with less of an understanding of the strip bar culture and more of that feeling of, wow, it’s pretty impossible to be anonymous. Like, just when you’ve worked up the chutzpah to do something a little risqué, inevitably you will run into someone you know who will catch you in the act.

So, aside for a penchant for the world unusual, let me tell you a little bit more about myself. I’ve been in Naples since January, interning with the Daily News in their internationally-recognized award-winning new media department. And, before you ask, no, they didn’t make me throw in that tagline: the people who I work with really do kick that much butt. I have 10 weeks of school to finish, so I’ll be leaving the Sunshine State at the end of the month to finish up my degree.

My blog is going to focus on, well, me. I’ve tried this whole blogging schtick before. In high school, my friends and I all had LiveJournals – but I got sick of the drama that ensued and abandoned mine. I spent last summer in Quebec and tried photoblogging to keep in touch with my family, but couldn’t really get into that, either.

This time, it’s the real deal though. I’m resolved to keep my blog in prime working condition. I’m going to blog the rest of my time in Naples as well as my last quarter of school. Assuming that the stars align the way I hope they do, I’ll be back in Naples right after Thanksgiving with a “real job,” and I’ll keep writing about that, too.

As it stands, I’ve fallen in love with Southwest Florida, my job, and the people who I work with. Before this internship (literally) fell into my lap, I’d never really thought about becoming a full-time Florida resident. Now, with only a few weeks to go before I have to return to school, I can tell you I’m really sad to leave. I’ll keep you up-to-date about this crazy world of limbo that is my life – stuck smack between college and the real world.

In any case, let’s hope that getting my degree means I end up with a profession that doesn’t involve stripping.