irishspiral.com

Well, the last day went like any other.  Sitting with friends, the girls had friends to play with and it was the most gorgeous day you’ve ever seen with the surf, sand and wind exactly where you want them to be.  And then….

One of the girls comes up side stepping as to not put the bottom of her big toe in the sand and has sticking out of it something that, at first glance, appears to be the end of a hypodermic needle (you know, the plastic part).  It was actually just her skin that was lanced off and curled around itself.  Scary anyway you look at it!  Luckily, one of the people on the beach had band aids in her car and found one for her.  OK, all is good even with the drama pouring out of every orifice of this kid’s body.  We’re a little used to this though, so all is good.  Then….

We get home and the other one has a pin hole in the bottom of her foot with a HUGE thick line running from the bottom outside of her foot, under it, to the arch of her foot, then splits to 3 lines going up the ankle.  I know what you’re saying right now, “she’s sitting here writing a blog and her daughter’s leg will be amputated tomorrow.”  Well, I did what I’ve learned and waited until after dinner and the big rush of getting ready for the first day of school and now, the red line is gone.  No fever, no vomiting, no nothing except an exhausted child (after the drama from every orifice naturally because her big sister taught her this) from having a wonderful day on the beach.

I have to say again and again…the best choice made for so many reasons was to move to the beach, and again and again…can’t say how worth this it was.  Even with the drama with we experienced in the desert and know that it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon no matter where we go…the Beach is home and always be.

So, here it is…technically the last day of summer vacation.  Kids start back to school tomorrow.  They are super excited, as am I!  Finally, I can get them off to school and have 10 mins on the beach with peace and quiet.  The cool thing is that in the afternoons, the best bribe ever when homework is slow going, will be a trip to the beach to boogie board and play in the sand.

Finding so far since the move that you really don’t have to cram it all into 1 week.  Bits and pieces are better and it seems that it even makes the time go by a little slower than the faced paced world we came from.  It’s nice to go out early in the AM and have a nice walk, come back and pack the beach gear and spend a few hours.

So, today, we’ll pack up and go for the final full day of fun…then hit the books tomorrow.  Of course, there will be the weekends before it’s too cold to go out, but there is something so final about today and the girls feel it too.  Off to have a blast…Beach Blast!!!

THE PERFECT SUMMER GETAWAY…CLOSER TO HOME THAN YOU THINK!

The beach is a perfect place to vacation.  Outside of the cost of a beach house or condo for the length of time you’ll stay, the costs involved are quite minimal.  A lot of families choose to go with other relatives which is a great way to split the cost to fit almost any budget.

Think about other family vacations.  You have Disney World, Sea World, etc.  While these are fun attractions that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, the costs soar.  A small soda at the counter at Disney World runs about $7.  You can purchase a cooler, ice and a 6 pack of soda for the same price and have drinks on the beach all day!  I think you get the point…a beach vacation can be as expensive, or as inexpensive as you make it.  You are in control.

Something most folks don’t consider is renting chairs, umbrellas, baby cribs, etc.  This is a tremendous way to cut costs as well.  Imagine packing up the whole family to drive to the beach from New York.  Your room will be limited by this alone.  Once you arrive at the beach, you’ll be lured by all the beach stores that promise the best deal of the season.  Truth is, you buy the items, use them for the week and then you’ve either got to say goodbye to the items because you have no way to haul them back home, or you sacrifice the family’s comfort to take the items back and probably never use them again until your return the next year for vacation.  There are several ways to rent these items for pennies on the dollar, enjoy them then give them back.  Saves space, time and money!

There are all types of tricks to beach living and vacationing that most people just don’t think about.  Come back soon for more great beach vacation ideas!

Absolutely amazing!  A beach that faces South so you get the sunrise and sunset as if you were on each Coast line in 1 day.  There is something to be said for this if you’ve had the opportunity to live on one one side of the US, and then the other.

After growing up at the beach and then moving to the desert, you find that it’s a real difference that you must adjust to.  A lot of people are able to carry it off for years, but will still eventually find themselves right back where they started.

For us, it was the same.  The only difference is we didn’t wait for retirement or the situation to be perfect to make the move…we just did it.  There has been next to no struggles with this move because it was right, and we were going home.  Finding the perfect little beach town was easy.  The kids are the main focus, it’s a community that is proud of who they are and what they have and no one is a stranger.  All are open arms.  This is what you’ll find in a small beach town.

In this discovery, we also find that this is one of the few places people actually know about and if you were to discover it, you’ll find that it will be hard to go anywhere else for your beach vacation.  We have recently met a few people who have done nothing but vacation in this very spot for the past 15 years.  In fact, when they return to areas such as New York, Boston, Virginia, Maine…they don’t tell their friends where they’ve been for fear the world will find out about this little slice of Heaven. 

The purpose here is not to overpopulate this little town that is now home, but to encourage anyone who ever takes that beach vacation and secretly wonders what it would be like to have a job or career in a place like this and have their kids go to school and do sports and live exactly as they would “back home”. 

IT IS POSSIBLE AND YOU CAN DO IT!