I’ve been working at home for almost three years now. After spending all day in the house writing, I want to get out of the house in the evening. Unfortunately, it feels like there is no place to go. We can go out to eat. We can go to a store or a mall. When I have a full belly and a full life, there really is no place to retreat.

I’ve enjoyed eating at home. Mike is an excellent cook and the food at home is inherently healthier than the food in restaurants solely because Mike cooks it that way. Even when we do opt to eat at a restaurant, a meal lasts no longer than an hour and we are left wandering the town, unwilling to go home.

Going shopping loses its meaning when you feel like you have enough. We rarely need anything anymore, so going to a store usually means that we walk up and down the aisles. We people-watch, but that only lasts for so long at Wal-Mart. There are interesting sights to see, but once you’ve seen the crazy that Wal-Mart (or the mall) has to offer, it pales quickly.

What I need is a clean, well-lit place like in Ernest Hemingway’s story of the same name. I’d like a place to go where it is clean, well-lit and comfortable to spend a few evening hours. I don’t want a bar. I don’t want a coffee-shop. I want a fashionable salon or a club where I can sit, talk to like-minded people and get out of the house for a few hours.

Anyone have any idea of a place that would be good for me?