weekend in seabrook

There are certain places (here and here, for example) that make me forget where I am. They feel far away and magical - but not foreign or distant. They feel soothing and exciting all at once. They give me pause; make my shoulders drop.


This weekend I had the privilege of heading to Seabrook, SC, which is exactly this sort of place. It's quiet and exciting all at once. 


I went with Chris and his friends from college for a fraternity brother's wedding. 

As for the wedding? It was beautiful. One of those weddings that makes you say: oh, I'm going to do that. And makes you think: I've never wanted a beach wedding - but should I? The kind of wedding that is elegant, but not pretentious, and honest and true to the bride and groom's style.



And the weekend? It was more than a wedding. A true vacation, in fact. When I unpacked, I laughed at all of the real clothes I brought. It turned out my pack list would have been complete with: swim suit, cover up, dress for rehearsal, dress for wedding and pajamas. Our days were on the beach and our nights were dressed up and there was no need for anything more. 




The company? Was ideal. I felt honored to be Chris' date. It was so much fun to meet his friends and see the way they love and care about one another. They made me feel welcomed immediately. They told me stories about college Chris and grilled me on "how much I really know about him." I felt so fortunate to be part of such an important weekend to all of them.




The postpartum? Very real. I'm still reminiscing from the weekend - dreaming of the beach, laughing at everything that happened and hoping that I find myself on Seabrook Island someday soon.


I hope your weekend (and week so far) have been wonderful!

r&r at its finest

Life is a funny thing and it seems the minute I found myself at my breaking point - setting rules and taking names - is just when my problem solved itself. Thursday, I scheduled this post, then hit the road for vacation. Just as it posted itself Friday morning, I hopped in the car for the last hour of my drive. I talked to Court and she asked me what I planned to do all day, since no one in our family was coming in until around 5 p.m.
And then it hit me.
I'd been so busy trying to figure out when I was going to finally learn to have some alone time - finally get my head on straight, ducks in row - that I didn't even realize I'd have all day Friday at the beach, by myself. I'd be homeless, since check-in wasn't until 3, wifiless, computerless, companionless. I could do exactly what I'd been saying I wanted to do for the last 3 months. Hang out with myself.
And then I laughed out loud at my own lack of foresight.
And then I got to chilling.
I sat by the ocean and read Love Does for hours. I ate lunch alone outside at a cafe - drinking Chai, people watching and enjoying the ocean breeze. I went on a walk and a run and then another walk, because why not? I read some more and ignored my phone and felt the kind of peaceful rechargedness that I felt when I broke my foot and was house-bound. But this time it was voluntarily, which has a much more peaceful and less anxious prisoner kind of vibe.
By the end of the day, I was, of course, itching like a fool for my family to arrive, because, let's be honest. I don't really love being alone that much. I'd much prefer company and chaos over solitude any day of the week. But sometimes, when you stumble upon a sleepy beach town and are alone without any distractions, you're reminded just how great it is to have a little solo time.
Looks like I don't need handcuffs, after all. Just unlimited time off and a sea breeze. Is that so much to ask!?
Happy Friday, guys!

{sweet spring break}

I got back from the beach Tuesday night and felt a kind of refreshed and recharged that I haven't felt in a long time. It was the perfect kind of slow vacation where your main concerns are getting iced coffee, getting in a workout, not waking up to an alarm, and what book you should read next because 7+ hours by the pool or ocean add up in the best way possible.
I talked to Courtney on the phone Saturday night and at the end of the conversation, she said, "Are you OK?" because my response rate was so slow and I think I had the kind of relaxed intonation that made her wonder if maybe I was on drugs.
For the first time ever, we decided to venture to Georgia's south beaches. I know, I just told you  that we're Emerald Coast do or diers, but we planned the trip last minute, so 30A was all booked up, and we couldn't let that stop us from getting our R&R. We're Rosemary-lovers but we're not crazy. We need the beach, people!
We went to St. Simon's and were charmed and dazzled by its quaintness. If you're familiar with the 30A area, you know that the panhandle is a manicured vacation mecca. Everything is perfect and tended to a T. St. Simon's is a departure from this - it natural and untouched. It's a quintessential Southern beach town, where everyone moves slowly and eats their food fried and has signs out front that read, "Add a bottle of wine to any meal for $10."
It's sweet and slow and exactly what we needed for a our spring break. We got up early and went to bed early and read books and laid by the pool and ocean and lost track of time. We ignored our phones and constantly found ourselves asking what day it was. We did family boot camp (led by Duke) and went on runs and walks and got iced coffee until we didn't even want it anymore. I went blow dryer, straightener and make up free - running in from the beach 20 minutes before we planned to leave for dinner just to hop in the shower. We did things we never make time to do - even on vacation - that only a Southern town can slow you down enough to make happen.



The ONLY problem with the trip is that not everyone could come. We were missing the rest of our family greatly. Before I left Tuesday, I made sure to send everyone in my family an email to get plans in motion for our next vacation. A trip like this is too good to let end without another one on the horizon. Sandestin for Labor Day, anyone?
See you at the beach!