Florida and Family 2018

I sat on the airplane, feeling pensive about where I was going. It had, after all, been 5 years. Five unexpected and life changing years since I had been to Florida.

Last time I had sat on the Gulf beaches, watching the sunset and listening to the waves, my life had been falling apart in ways I had yet to fully grasp. My life has since fallen together in even more unimaginable and wonderful ways, and yet it was with some sense of unrest that I made my way to Florida. Last time, I was full of grief and so thankful for time with my family in a place that soothed a broken heart. This time, I was full of joy and ready to celebrate my brother's wedding ceremony in a place meant to create happy memories. I worried about the unsettling contrast between my memories and the excitement I felt.

But all of that melted away the moment I stepped off the plane and was enveloped by the salty, humid air. What waited for me in Pensacola Beach were days of beautiful moments, full of my favorites.  

There was the time when, despite the flight delays, missing my husband, and a LONG day of West coast to almost East coast travel, I got to enjoy my all time favorite fajitas during an unexpectedly long layover in DFW. And drinks. And bacon wrapped, cheese and jalapeño stuffed shrimp. There was nothing about this meal that I did not like. 

The next morning, after a late night arrival, I got to wake up and spend time with my sister-in-law and niece. It was quality girl time with people I dearly love and do not get to see often enough. And I got to wear shorts. The humidity and the salty air were a balm to my soul, the first hint of relaxation I had felt in months. The pedicure accompanied by the glass of bubbly that followed only added to a wonderful morning.

And then there was the beach. When I told people in Oregon I was going to Florida, for some it was hard to understand why. Probably because they had not grown up going there, this place always being a second home. And probably because they had never seen the white sand beaches and the gorgeous blue ocean. And also probably because it is kind of hard to get there from Oregon. But really, life does not get much better than an afternoon spent reading a book on a beach, cold drink in hand. Even better, on this beach were my nieces and nephews. 

And just when I thought the day could not get any better, my brothers arrived. These brothers of mine are two of my favorite humans. Time with them is hilarious and heartwarming and precious. 

There was time to catch up with old friends and make new ones, set against the backdrop of glorious sunsets and wide open beaches. 

Of course there were delicious meals shared with loved ones. The day of the wedding, I hung out with the groom's party, the only girl in the bunch. We had lunch at the delicious Peg Leg Pete's. Fresh Gulf oysters and crab claws, grouper, fantastic drinks like my mango daiquiri - it made my seafood loving heart happy. Although I can have Oregon coast seafood almost anytime, I love enjoying the variety of seafood from other places when I travel. The food was great and the company was even better. 

My last night in Florida, I used my restaurant finding superpower to make reservations for my family (minus Evan, who had left for his honeymoon earlier that day) at Atlas Oyster House. Not to brag, but once again, I managed to find just the right spot for the occasion. We sat around the table, which overlooked the bay, and reminisced on times both old and new as we ate amazing food like oysters prepared Rockefeller, Acadia, and Imperial styles, bacon wrapped and crab stuffed shrimp served with fried green tomatoes, and shrimp over smoked Gouda cheese grits (yes, please). After a meal like that, our bellies and our hearts were full. 

One of my favorite days was a day spent at the beach with a nephew who insisted that he HATED the beach. This is for obvious reasons, such as the possibility that, while one plays in the ocean, "giant crabs will grab your feet with their pinchers and pull you under the water and drown you." The poor kid obviously has no imagination. This same sweet nephew of mine went on the spent the remainder of the day laughing and smiling and generally having a great time, usually while telling you how miserable he was. 

Is this the face of someone having a terrible time? You be the judge...

It was a day of nothing. And everything. These people bring me so much joy and there is never enough time with them. 

The post beach face of someone who absolutely had no fun at all, as is apparent in this picture of my darling nephew, exhausted from all of the fun he did not have

Best of all, was the reason we all came together. Of course, I probably would not need much encouragement to join my family for a few days on the beach, but a wedding makes a really good excuse to take another week off work during a summer when you are already taking 3 weeks off for your own wedding and honeymoon. This was not exactly a traditional wedding given that my brother and sister-in-law had been married for 5 years - they secretly eloped and my sister-in-law never got her dream wedding. This summer seemed like the right time to fix that. It was a beautiful celebration of the love and life they've built together, complete with 4 amazing children. 

It was also a teensy bit chaotic and I happen to be the (sometimes obsessively) organized one in the family, so I kind felt like this by the time the reception started.

Despite some initial trepidation, my time in Florida was almost perfect. Only Brandon being able to join me could have made it better. As I flew home I reflected on the previous days and just how much I treasure time with my family. My life is so rich - rich because of those I love and those who love me. Life will always have its ups and downs, the inevitable highs and lows. I'm grateful that these are the ones I have by my side through it all.