Hey y’all! Yes, we are still in South Carolina. Yes, the weather is amazing (80s and sunny every day). Yes, we are still having a blast. In fact, the only kind-of frightening moment was when I looked at Tony over my morning coffee and wondered aloud: “How are we ever going to go home?”
After waking up every day with a view of the water, being able to go dip our toes in the ocean any time we want, how does one return to a “normal” life? Especially since back home, temps were in the low 20s this morning and the UP has 3 inches of snow? Maybe we will get to a point where this vagabond lifestyle will get old, when we’ll long for the comfort and security of home. I know that the girls are sometimes lonesome for their friends and cousins; the real fact that we likely wouldn’t get to interact with them much anyway during COVID is little comfort, unfortunately. Thank goodness for Zoom calls and FaceTime!
Some highlights: After a month and a half of putting a line in the water every chance he got, Tony finally pulled a monster from the deep. Sadly, due to South Carolina fishing limits, the red drum he caught from the beach was actually too big for us to keep and eat! Since then, he’s also caught a good-sized stingray from the dock right by our townhouse, and we’re hoping to pull up some more blue crabs. If not, the dock is fantastic place to watch dolphins or catch a gorgeous sunset.
It felt a teeny bit like fall when we took the girls to a pumpkin patch last weekend, even though we were in shorts and most locals were in long pants, sweaters and flannels. The goats, Sno-Cones and corn cannon were the highlights. From there, it was a quick drive to Johns Island’s famous Angel Oak, a Southern live oak estimated to be up to 500 years old. Just amazing. We also treated ourselves to a horse-drawn carriage tour of historic Charleston. Sooooo many cool churches and old buildings—and all the stories! And Rainbow Row! Will definitely go back for a ghost tour at Halloween.
The sweet: One of the best things about being settled here in a neighborhood on Folly Beach is that we’re surrounded by super fun neighbors. It’s not our Castle Rock cul-de-sac by any stretch, but we’ve already made fast friends with two couples from Connecticut, and Tony has a new fishing buddy from Ohio. These guys too, since they’ve been coming down here for years, have helped us get to know the lay of the land and pick out the best restaurants and such—both on the island and in Charleston.
The sour: With just two bad throws from our quarterback, the Packers blew a 10-point lead and ended their undefeated streak. Gah. So frustrating sometimes!
The seafood: We did a pretty good job of eating at home and making some healthy meals. Also, Tony and I have been taking long walks around the island to look at all the cool houses, and we happened to find a tennis court. All healthy habits aside, though, we just couldn’t stay away from all the amazing Southern cooking down here; the draw of these restaurants is just too strong!
Gratitude: While we’ve cherished the quality time with the girls these last several weeks, we are looking forward to seeing Zac again and having some friends visit as well. (It will be good to expand our circle, so to speak.) I can’t believe how much the girls seem to have grown during this time, and I will forever be grateful for this opportunity that God has given us to travel together. Just like the monthlong trip to Alaska that my grandparents took with my mom and her siblings, this trip will live on in family history! Gratitude abounds.
I’m just going to add one final time that we are happy to share our story with other adventurous souls. If you would like your email address added to my newsletter list (just for this blog only—no sales! I promise!) shoot me a message or reply in the comments. As always, we are grateful for the love and support we’ve received from friends and family back home. Fantastic to hear from so many of you! It is our continual prayer that we will be able to safely see each and every one of you in person when we travel home for the holidays. Keep in touch! We are sending love and sunshine your way!!!
Love love love your blogs! Enjoy every minute ❤️