A Vacation Post 1 of 3

Amid the vacation recovery, out of town visitors, Fall co-op planning, the earthquake and impending hurricane fears... I seem to have forgotten to tell you all about our vacation to Buxton last week! Silly me! 


Ironically though all vacationers to the Outer Banks- including Buxton- have been evacuated this week. Glad it wasn't us! 


We (my mother, little brother, Craig and the kids) stayed in a gorgeous cottage two lots back from the beach, named 'One Summer Dream'. All the cottages in the Outer Banks have a name and I love them. This was our first year in Buxton as well. The past 5 years we've been going to Hatteras and before that for about 45 years to Kill Devil Hills. So needless to say I was a bit wary of another new location but Buxton proved to be fabulous. Also it was not just my immediate family that was there. My mother's brothers and sisters also came down with my cousins and their kids. All 32 of us. A yearly tradition birthed by my late Grandparents! Good times were had by. 


Our cottage had three floors and was so high that we could see the ocean and sound side from our deck. We also were diagonal to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, which was a special nighttime treat to see. Speaking of nighttime, the sky was so clear and the city was so dark that we could see the milkyway at night. Crazy. There was tons of wildlife where we were as well. Deer, raccoons (whom liked to visit and tear into our coolers), snakes...but also loads of seabirds, sea turtles, and fish (much to my husband's delight!) 

Needless to say words cannot do this place justice. It was hard to leave. The ocean was and is still very near and dear to my heart. Its where I feel closest to my creator and where we wrestled out quite a few issues in high school. Something about the ocean always puts me at peace even on his roughest days and mine as well. Next to God there is not a thing on this earth that I respect more than the ocean- yet I still gamble with him from time to time when I surf. The smells, the tastes, and the sound of the breeze through the sea oats and the waves pounding on the shore still lull me to sleep. I must still, as my father and uncle used to tell me, have salt water in my veins. 


So as this hurricane approaches, and I've seen quite a few in my short years growing up next to the ocean, I'd be remiss in not talking about my old friend. Be safe Eastcoasters. And do not for one second underestimate a hurricane's or the the ocean's power. Even on a calm day or as a category 1. 

My cousin Josh surfing. He is 6 years older than me and gave me my first surfboard 12 years ago!