Babbling from a Beach Chair

We spent a week at Surfside Beach, SC for the second annual family beach week. Seven adults, one fantastic and precocious soon-to-be five year old and seven days of perfect weather. From my beach chair perched beneath a shady umbrella the following occurred to me in no particular order:

1. You really can go to the beach for a week and not get sunburn. It just requires a lot of sunblock and large hats.

2. If you can't actually disconnect from the office fully, the tension never really leaves your back.

3. I am way too attached to my iPhone for far too many tasks, tidbits and mindless moments.

 4. Devouring books, printed on actual paper, is still one of my absolute favorite things to do. The Lemon Tree and Japanland, both excellent reads.

5. No matter how long you stare at the ocean it won't give you the answer to the questions you're asking, unless you're really ready for the answers.*

6. Being an outsider to the tribe known as mothers becomes a very different experience every year further you go in life.
 
7. Lifeguards don't really guard beach goers, but they do handle beach rentals, check their phones/laptops and work on their tans, a lot.

8. Cheap airline flights are not always worth the cost savings.

*It does however prepare you to hear exactly what you were looking for while sitting in a pew on Sunday morning after you return.