Oh hey! We went on a vacation!
Hi! We went on a real vacation! Kathy's collection of inlaws have a collection of houses in Folly Beach, SC - which is right outside of Charleston. Since Charleston history, food, and beaches are legendary - I figured we should check it out. I've been intending to visit for the last 2 years or so, actually, but this was the first time we were able. It was a vacation that was promised to me when Buster announced 5 seconds before Bikini Kill took the stage last May or so that we had to skip our LA vacation after my ALC ride because he was starting work right after I finished the ride.
So. Yeah! Charleston! We landed on Monday evening (the 28th), had some nice dinner. We drank some wine which was amazing - since I had been dry for most of the month. We went to sleep and slept in the next morning, which was glorious. We were three hours behind in the times, anyhow - and Buster desperately needed to catch up on some sleep.
Eventually we woke up and had a full-on beach day. It was awesome. I spent a ton of time in the water, which is my happy place. A warm ocean is my everything. I would do anything to swim in a warm ocean, every day. I got peachy tan and the kids got along like gang busters. I rode Patrick's surfboard very unsuccessfully, but very happily. It was just rad. It was what I wanted the whole vacation to be!
The next morning we slept in again before heading to the city for a carriage ride. The ride was lovely. I learned so much about the history and architecture of Charleston - which is truly a weird, beautiful, spooky place. I love it there. And then we came home, maybe napped? Ate some delicious food. Went to the beach for some night hangs. It was a nice day.
The day after, we woke a little early to go to the beach and get whatever kind of awesome we could get in before the rain came. The waves were like a washing machine so Kathy and I took boogie boards out there and had so many amazing rides! It was ridiculous fun! I've never gotten out there like that before. We laughed our faces off for a few hours while we watched the storm slowly progress towards the beach. When the torrential rains started, we laughed and laughed - driving the golf cart through every puddle, everyone soaked to the bone. We dropped the kids off at home and went grocery shopping for a day or so's worth of groceries - necessary because we knew that the rain wasn't going to stop for, what? 24 hours? NO PROBLEM. The grumpy woman at the surf mart wasn't impressed with our glee or our soaked money - so we laughed at her, too. Good times.
Annnnd it rained. And it rained. And it rained. And it rained. And BOY did it rain. Folly Beach Hugo survivors said it was the most rain any of them had ever seen! I said it was the most rain I had ever seen. Everyone basically agreed that it was the most rain that ever could have rained. The tree frogs came out and made a huge noise of it, talking about how it was the most rain ever. The yard became a swamp and we were warned to stay away from that swamp because all the snakes were displaced. And it continued to rain. People kayaked down the streets. Then it rained some more.
In the middle of the rain, Chris Finley and his family arrived from Florida in their Jeep like "ain't no thang" and spent the night hanging out on our porch (thank goodness for houses on stilts) while the kids sank toys that they will never see again in the yard.
And it continued to rain. Access to our island became restricted, but we had big trucks and not a care in the world. Then it rained some more. We went to delicious places to eat anyway. Then it rained some more. Papers said it was a thousand year flood! So it kept raining. Sometimes, we made it to the beach anyway. I always got into the water, no matter what. I mean, everything was wet, anyway!
We went out for a fancy night in Charleston, which was super fun. We did Husk. We did McCrady's. We went to a super awesome cocktail bar. And it rained some more. Did I mention the rain? It rained. Did I mention, also, that it was still fun? Because it was. It was not what I expected, but it was still great.
I'll go back to Charleston someday. I hope I get more sun time at the beach. I won't mind if it rains a little, but doubt I'll ever see rain like that again, anywhere.
Now I am back in California, where rain never happens. It's also pretty great. I work, I bike, I go to yoga, and I hang out with my family and my best friend. My regular life is kind of vacationy, too. But there's no warm ocean. Maybe I need a wetsuit.
The end!
So. Yeah! Charleston! We landed on Monday evening (the 28th), had some nice dinner. We drank some wine which was amazing - since I had been dry for most of the month. We went to sleep and slept in the next morning, which was glorious. We were three hours behind in the times, anyhow - and Buster desperately needed to catch up on some sleep.
Eventually we woke up and had a full-on beach day. It was awesome. I spent a ton of time in the water, which is my happy place. A warm ocean is my everything. I would do anything to swim in a warm ocean, every day. I got peachy tan and the kids got along like gang busters. I rode Patrick's surfboard very unsuccessfully, but very happily. It was just rad. It was what I wanted the whole vacation to be!
The next morning we slept in again before heading to the city for a carriage ride. The ride was lovely. I learned so much about the history and architecture of Charleston - which is truly a weird, beautiful, spooky place. I love it there. And then we came home, maybe napped? Ate some delicious food. Went to the beach for some night hangs. It was a nice day.
The day after, we woke a little early to go to the beach and get whatever kind of awesome we could get in before the rain came. The waves were like a washing machine so Kathy and I took boogie boards out there and had so many amazing rides! It was ridiculous fun! I've never gotten out there like that before. We laughed our faces off for a few hours while we watched the storm slowly progress towards the beach. When the torrential rains started, we laughed and laughed - driving the golf cart through every puddle, everyone soaked to the bone. We dropped the kids off at home and went grocery shopping for a day or so's worth of groceries - necessary because we knew that the rain wasn't going to stop for, what? 24 hours? NO PROBLEM. The grumpy woman at the surf mart wasn't impressed with our glee or our soaked money - so we laughed at her, too. Good times.
Annnnd it rained. And it rained. And it rained. And it rained. And BOY did it rain. Folly Beach Hugo survivors said it was the most rain any of them had ever seen! I said it was the most rain I had ever seen. Everyone basically agreed that it was the most rain that ever could have rained. The tree frogs came out and made a huge noise of it, talking about how it was the most rain ever. The yard became a swamp and we were warned to stay away from that swamp because all the snakes were displaced. And it continued to rain. People kayaked down the streets. Then it rained some more.
In the middle of the rain, Chris Finley and his family arrived from Florida in their Jeep like "ain't no thang" and spent the night hanging out on our porch (thank goodness for houses on stilts) while the kids sank toys that they will never see again in the yard.
And it continued to rain. Access to our island became restricted, but we had big trucks and not a care in the world. Then it rained some more. We went to delicious places to eat anyway. Then it rained some more. Papers said it was a thousand year flood! So it kept raining. Sometimes, we made it to the beach anyway. I always got into the water, no matter what. I mean, everything was wet, anyway!
We went out for a fancy night in Charleston, which was super fun. We did Husk. We did McCrady's. We went to a super awesome cocktail bar. And it rained some more. Did I mention the rain? It rained. Did I mention, also, that it was still fun? Because it was. It was not what I expected, but it was still great.
I'll go back to Charleston someday. I hope I get more sun time at the beach. I won't mind if it rains a little, but doubt I'll ever see rain like that again, anywhere.
Now I am back in California, where rain never happens. It's also pretty great. I work, I bike, I go to yoga, and I hang out with my family and my best friend. My regular life is kind of vacationy, too. But there's no warm ocean. Maybe I need a wetsuit.
The end!