The Boy and the Beach (Part 1)
I spent the weekend in Wilmington as a summer semi-vacation (Wednesday through Sunday). Here's the first of two parts of that trip, as a test to see if subsequent blog posts are a suitable method for covering a multi-day event.
Homeward Bound
Something I've struggled with as an adult is learning how to make the choices that used to be made for me growing up. For example, my parents aren't the ones clothing me anymore; if I wanted new socks, it's up to me to buy them. Similarly, no one is going to plan an excellent vacation for me. I need to plan and block out my own schedule if I want an experience like that.
Kathryn had joined her dad and sister for a trip to the Keys for a week of scuba and relaxation, leaving me in charge of our beagle Willa. At the same time, my sister Rachael's birthday was coming up, and she was planning a weeklong vacation in Wilmington with the rest of my family. The impossible had become reality: the opportunity for an unplanned vacation had arisen. After my workday on Wednesday, I loaded my belongings and an anxious Willa into the car and joined the family.
Home to Work and Work from Home
There was another element to this vacation that played in synergy to my availability, and that was my work schedule for the week. I had a site visit in Jacksonville that Thursday, and I always work from home on Fridays. Getting to Wilmington on a Wednesday allowed me to drop off the dog, take a shorter drive to/from my site, and have easy access to my loved ones while bound to my computer. I was able to take a half day on Friday to get down to the beach in the beautiful weather of early June. This is where the real fun began, but I wanted to set the stage in this post before moving onto the activities of the weekend.