Goldings go to Kiawah

First ever family vacation to somewhere other than our beach house in Cherry Grove. I love having a beach house, don't get me wrong. But there is something gloriously different about vacationing in someone else's house/villa/hotel. The freedom of leaving a hair in the shower and knowing it won't be you extricating it from the drain. Not having to contemplate whether the filters need changing. Letting the kids jump on the bed without weighing the adverse effects on its structural longevity. New, unfamiliar surroundings to explore. A daily knock at the door heralding fresh towels and the luxury of crisply made beds. Turning the thermostat to whatever floats your boat without mentally calculating the impact on the electric bill.  It felt like... well... vacation. And a lovely one at that. 

I gave a few lectures at the conference, but otherwise we enjoyed each other, the beautiful island, and the perfect weather. 

I was inappropriately stressed about the 6ish hour drive, but the girls did great. A steady stream of activities and snacks saved the day and we survived rather unscathed. 

Call me strange, but I have very strong nostalgic memories of having breakfast on the balcony with my sister on our family beach vacations. If memory serves me correctly, Lucky Charms were the most commonly consumed delicacy. But I couldn't miss the opportunity to recreate the moment for the Es, who hopefully will grow up to wistfully remember their own Family Vacation Balcony Breakfasts. In the spirit of full disclosure, they ate cheerios with peaches and bananas rather than the traditional Lucky Charms, but I think they were still magically delicious. 

We enjoyed plenty of high-quality entertainment. 

Splashed around in the delightfully kid-friendly pool.

Explored.

Strolled.

Ate lots of good food. 

Lots.

And got a little grumpy when it was gone.

We braved alligator teeth. 

Watched the waves.

We celebrated a big day. 

And relaxed like we were... on vacation.