We're back from the beach

It was spontaneous and quick. On Thursday, I suggested that it might be nice if we took a day trip to the beach one day this weekend. I didn't think it would happen because we're not into spontaneous trips. Last night, we decided we would go this morning. I still wasn't quite sure it would happen. Well this morning when my alarm went off I seriously considered changing my mind. I was so tired, but I got my butt out of bed and began to get ready. Normally when we leave on a "trip." We so over plan it's not even funny. There are maps out of the wazoo and enough clothes for a month! Okay maybe not quite a month, but you get my drift.

We had a "mini" plan in place. Get on 40 and drive east until we hit the beach. When we got tired, turn around and come home. So at 7:15 we left with a small backpack and two beach towels. The backpack had two swim suits in it just in case we got the urge to get in the ocean if there were appropriate facilities to change (since we've never done a spur trip like this .. we've never not gone and spent the night so we weren't sure if there would be a place or not).

We got hungry near a little city so we stopped for breakfast on the way. Decided we better make a trip to the rest room just in case we couldn't find one later and I saw one of my online friends in the rest room. What a small world. Since we don't chat often and I wasn't sure she recognized me ... and of course since she was with other people I couldn't just say, "HEY KRYSTAL." We're both from my "little town" and this little town was well over an hour away. So odd.

Back on the road. We decided to skip Wrightsville Beach and head straight to Carolina Beach. We weren't sure which would be better, but gambled that if we didn't like Carolina Beach we could always come back towards "home" and hit Wrightsville on the way back. We stepped out onto the beach and it was as if all my worries over this last week were wiped away. I felt relaxed for the first time in probably two weeks. It was such a relief after the work week I've had.


We walked towards the Boardwalk



and I saw a Ferris Wheel

that I wanted to photograph. So we walked up and photographed a variety of things. The colors were so beautiful I found myself photographing the most random things (Bikes, Flower Pots, other amusement rides).



Eventually we made it back down to the beach and let the waves crash over our feet. After standing out there for a bit, we thought about getting our swim suits for actually getting into the water. We made our way to the public restroom to discover there were no doors in the stalls! I was NOT getting naked in that bathroom. Spontaneous trip or not, I still have my dignity and modesty to maintain. We made our way to the car to "plan" the rest of our trip.

One idea I had on the way down was to stop by UNCW to photograph the clock tower. I don't know if you know this about me (stop laughing), but I love photographing clock towers (I still hear you laughing!!!). So we stopped by and got many photos of the campus on the way to the clock tower.


Rob even took the "new" standard of me sitting on a bench on a college campus. (does this mean I'm going to have to go to UNCP, UNC and WCU to take photos of me on a bench?)



We made the decision that food was probably in our near future and we'd drive towards Wrightsville Beach to find that food. While we were being spontaneous .. why not go to TWO beaches in one day?!? Um I'll tell you why! Because by the time we got to WB, it was so crazy hectic that .. well HECTIC is not the way to spend your spontaneous relaxing day! :o) We decided that the quicker we could get away from WB the better. At this point I was so extremely parched that we stopped by a convenient store to get me some water. It rang up for 4 cents for 2 liters of water! What a Bargain!?! Oops. Cashier mistake. It was supposed to be 4.04 which we kindly paid. :P

We were trying to find an Aquarium, but decided if we couldn't it wouldn't be a big deal. We stopped off at Wendy's to eat lunch. We had just arrived when a huge bus showed up with college students. Great timing. We got in just before they did! I expressed my feelings that I had already achieved exactly what I was wanting. To feel the waves crash over my feet


and to have stress wiped away by God's Creation! If we couldn't find the Aquarium, I would not be disappointed. I laid my seat back and fell asleep. Next thing I know, it's two hours later and we're back home! I feel 1,000 percent better than I have in the last week. I am so blessed to have a husband that loves me so much just to take me on a random day trip. We were both out of our comfort zone of planning and it almost felt good!

So in essence, we left at 7:15 this morning and got back at 3:15. In 8 hours, I turned from a crushed box into a spring. If you don't know what this means, I'll explain. On Wednesday, I expressed to a friend (probably more than one) that I had so much turmoil going on that I felt crushed ... like a box. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to "fix" myself because I was under so much strain. However, I wasn't sure if I was a crushed box or a spring. In other words, a box that's been crushed really can't be fixed. However, a spring once some of the pressure is removed bounces back into shape ... Today in 8 hours, I changed from a crushed box into a spring. I am bouncing back into shape! :o)