It has been over a month since my last Blog! Shame on me! July flew by with our Theme Thursday’s (which were great fun), Emily’s wedding, and then my frantic packing to get out of the house for our “no later than 10 am departure” the Friday right after our last Theme Thursday. We were heading to the beach in North Carolina for our Summer vacation and I had promised my hubby that I could do it. We pulled out of the drive at 10:15 and you probably could have knocked the hubby over with a feather. I NEVER can leave by the anticipated departure! There are always way too many things on the checklist to check off. Does anyone else feel that they need to get the 17 piles of paper precariously stacked on and around your desk sorted, filed or acted upon before you leave? Or that you have to leave the house ready for visitors, should they show up the second you arrive home? Or God forbid that you don’t come back!  You can hear the voices in your subconscious, ” How could she leave the house like this when she left? Look at that floor! The dishes in the sink!”

We pulled out of the driveway…almost on time and off we went. Okay, we didn’t get that far because I always create a heap of mail from those 17 piles that of course need to be mailed on the way. We all know that they do not have post offices on vacation! Now we really are on the road, riding tandem because we can no longer fit the 5 kids, 2 dogs and luggage in one car. Opps! Small little lay over. A kind traveler was honking at us and pointing at our luggage rack as it looked like it was going to bounce off the top of the car. A little rearranging of the contents inside and now, off we go! 

 We timed the trip perfectly to avoid DC and Richmond around rush hour and we STILL hit a three hour back up on 95! A back up that caused us to move at a snails pace. Approaching hour number three of the traffic snarl, I put my head back on the seat rest to contemplate life as we were at a full stop.  The next thing I knew, I felt this thump on the car. Looks like the effects of staying up well into the night shuffling those 17 piles of paperwork caused me to take a little snooze. This crazy man came storming out of the car in which I just probably woke him up in as well, shaking his head at me and looking at me like I had seven heads. (Yes seven, you have not seen that look before.)

 Good thing it was my husband! 

It was all worth it as we drove over the bridge to the island in North Carolina. Love this view and the smell of the water that invades the car as we all put our windows down.  Okay, I cheated, if you did the math and we left at 10 am from PA, we would have gotten to NC (take in the 3 additional hours in the traffic) well after dark. Could not see much at that hour but I took this shot after returning from the grocery store the next morn to relive the moment. Looks much better in the day time doesn’t it?

One thing we all know is that life IS different at the beach. The air seems clearer, the days ramble on, one into the other with no urgency except when you begin to realize that you are on the backside of the trip and you have little time left. Maybe it is the no work thing. You are on vacation after all. Maybe it is the cooking in a different environment, for most often we are still cooking and cleaning if you rent a house or a condo. Maybe even more so, if you go away with family or a large group of friends. One thing that struck me this time away at the beach was the sky.  

It seemed more beautiful and more vivid than at home. 

Forever changing from the soft hues of sunset…

to the beautiful blue and white of a beach day…

to the dark ominous signs of a storm rolling in.

Some evenings were absolutely breathtaking.

Making you thankful to have been part of such a beautiful day.

Life is good, life is beautiful, life is more revealing 

when we slow down a little bit to take it all in…at the beach.