a bit late to the game, but jumping in on #Blogtober14, here! i’m considering committing to a big writing project for November, so it seems like trying to post here every day is a good way to start flexing those muscles and get into the habit of writing every single day. luckily, The Daily Tay has made it easy for me with a handy-dandy list of writing prompts. whew. so, no excuses and without further ado, my best vacation . . .
sure, i’ve been a lot of places. well, i mean not as many (or as often) as my globetrotting international secret agent husband. James Bond, himself doesn’t even get around that much. but my point is that it took me a minute to decide which destination and which time to write about tonight. there was a Christmas in London, a honeymoon in Anguilla, South Africa, Egypt, Greece, Barbados, Nantucket, New Orleans . . . and while those trips and more were incredible times that made for amazing memories, my favorite vacation is much simpler and closer to home than any of ’em.
for the past 3 years, we have spent the week of July Fourth with some of our best friends at Tybee Island. this laid back destination just east of Savannah is about a 4 hour drive from Atlanta, but feels worlds away. it’s one island south of tonier Hilton Head, which means we get to watch their fireworks without having to dress for dinner. or anything else, for that matter.
our accommodations aren’t fancy. we rent the same condo on the north end of the island. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths for 4 adults and 3 kids. it’s cozy. good thing we all love each other. it has a huge deck overlooking the ocean that’s as perfect for an afternoon with a book as it is for late night cocktails and solving the world’s problems. since we stay on the private part of the beach, we can take out all our claptrap and just leave it for the week — no schlepping back and forth with chairs, tents, toys and the kitchen sink every single day. i’m not sure we would even go out to the beach if we had to deal with that!
for a whole week, we do typical beach stuff: play in the ocean, ride bikes, eat tons of seafood, live in swimsuits and cover-ups with no make-up and no judgement . . . nothing special. and everything special. the kids all look forward to this week all year long. these 3 “cousins” are the very best of friends and their sheer delight at being able to go to sleep and wake up next to each other, then spend all day together, is equivalent to having an entire week of Christmas. they are absolutely precious together. and it is amazing to see the differences in how they act and what they can accomplish from year to year. i wouldn’t trade those moments for the world.
as for the adults, it’s a nice extended catch up. most of our trips to Richmond are totally whirlwind, so actually getting to hang out with these guys not on a tight schedule is an amazing change of pace. we relive the old memories and make new ones, learn about the details of daily life you don’t get over Facebook or text messages and rediscover the reasons we’re friends in the first place. really good stuff.
we might mix it up with a day trip to Savannah or an evening out on the island. there’s a marine center that the kids love. hermit crabs!! the lighthouse is only a short walk up the beach. and dolphin spotting boats leave on the hour every hour. but as far as i’m concerned, let me forget about work for a week, sit next to some of my favorite people with my toes in the sand watching the container ships heading to and from the port, pass me a 420 and i’m good to go.
best. vacation. ever. and i’m lucky enough get to do it every year for the foreseeable future.
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