Things I Learned On My Beach Vacation [PHOTOS]

JG

To say I'm struggling thru my first workday back from vacation is an understatement. After am amazing week at the beach with my family, I almost need another few days off just to recover. It takes a while to adjust back to reality, right? Well, like it or not, my break from the real world is over... dang it!

But, I did learn a few things while beachin'. Check em out!

1. I love the beach. Sure, this isn't a new thing, but I'd forgotten just how much I love the beach. The sand, waves, instant relaxation, smell, sound of the ocean.. yep, I love it. I should make a promise to myself to go to a beach at least once a year.

2. One of my favorite smells in the whole wide world, is the smell of Banana Boat tanning oil. The first little spritz on my legs was heavenly... for real. I took a moment and really smelled it. Actually, I think I maybe inhaled a little too much, but, until I sneezed, it was awesome!

3. I like seafood! When I was little, I walked out the back door of my grandparents house and found my great-granddad and older cousin cleaning up some catfish. I still see that terrible picture in my head to this day. So, I'm not big on fish. I'll eat tilapia and that's about it. But... I was feeling adventurous one night at dinner and ordered some fish tacos. Guess what?? They were delicious! And, I ate a shrimp! Not a kid popcorn shrimp, but a real shrimp! Who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks?!?

4. Don't ever try to hustle my family in anything... especially sports. My sister, her 15 year-old twin boys and I were minding our own business walking over to the volleyball court, when a man approached us to play a friendly game. After laughing because none of us play volleyball, we said, "Sure!" Now, let's just get it out in the open that my sister and I had been enjoying some delicious paradise punch all afternoon, so we were feeling extra sporty, ha! Guess what?!? That man and his US Junior Olympic-wannabe volleyball team went down!! Yep, that's right... we won! See, he didn't factor in the competitiveness of my family. We don't lose well and will do just about anything to win. Oh, it didn't hurt that we picked up a few helpers along the way ;)

I'm still getting sand out of places that should not be there...

5. When an almost-five year-old hands you a shovel and tells you to start diggin', you grab a shovel and start diggin'! Hands down, my favorite part of this trip was how much time I got to spend with Carsyn. Just plain ole' playtime. She absolutely LOVED the beach and everything about it. Sure, we had some rough days, ha, but, overall, just having time to play was just what I needed last week. Plus, I'd forgotten how much fun it is to really build a sand castle!

Welp, there's my vacation in a nutshell. And, besides from the brief stomach bug that welcomed me home Saturday morning, it was a perfect week.

Until next year...