Friday, July 31, 2015

TWTW - the spontaneous shore weekend

Last Friday morning I was sitting at my desk staring down the bottom of my iced coffee, already waiting on 5 p.m. even though I had no solid plans for the weekend aside from sweet sweet freedom. I checked my email and found one from a little shore motel in Stone Harbor. I had halfheartedly looked around for rooms earlier in the week, fully expecting everyone to be booked up, which they were. It is the Jersey shore in July, after all. But what was this gift? A cancellation at the Lark Motel. I frantically dialed MFD and even Mr. Last Minute MFD had a little I have work to do I can't just go freakout. Then he realized there was WiFi and he was all in. So I did something I never do - made a last minute decision to go away for the weekend. Cross another off the 40 before 40. Even though I'd thought about it earlier, I had no clothes laid out, nothing packed, no dog care set up, no food bought, no fresh pedicure, no laundry done, no food prepped for the week. I'd be starting from scratch when I got home at 6. Sometimes you just have to say fuck it, right? So we did. We threw everything in the car, hit Wawa and DD, and took the back roads with the windows down and sang our hearts out.
Before I go any further, I need to take a minute to appreciate being at a place in life where we can drop it all and go to the shore at the last minute. After many years of struggling along, there's not one minute of the day that I don't thank my stars that we are where we are right now. Both of us have busted our asses and sweated blood to get here and the hard work is not over, but it was and is worth it. We are fortunate. I am grateful. And on nights like Friday so grateful I almost cry.

I know, I know, just get to the photos, right? Both of us have been going to the shore every summer for our whole lives and neither of us have ever stayed in Stone Harbor as adults. The impetus to stay there this weekend was pure convenience - MFD's stringband had a concert there Saturday night. The Lark ended up being a three minute walk from where the concert would be. Kismet. It's a cute, sleepy little town where people look dressed up even though they're being casual.

Around Stone Harbor...
Saturday morning sunrise...
Ferko concert...
Saturday beach scenes - I spent over 10 hours on the beach Saturday. Glorious. A seagull took swooped in and took part of my sandwich after I nearly murdered people in hanger (which is why MFD is eating his under the umbrella below like Farnsworth Bentley) and people sat right on top of me, but it was still just a glorious day.
Weekend food was basically iced coffee, pizza, and ice cream. 
Sunday we did a little shopping and Farmers Marketing in Stone Harbor before driving over to Sea Isle so we could spend the day on the beach with the Sannellis.
Sunday beach day in Sea Isle, in which the Diva was the star attraction of course...
Sunday night we were supposed to leave around 8. MFD was fishing down at the inlet late, which left me to go to La Costa with Frank and Amanda. MFD joined us for a red bull, and we decided to go see a bit of LeCompt at the Springfield. I was in my bathing suit the whole time because MFD had the car and all of my stuff in it so I couldn't shower. Welp! It ended up being a good night anyway. Thankful for a sober driver who did the long haul home after midnight so I could enjoy a night out at the shore.

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I finished a book and started another. I saw a sunrise Saturday but slept in until 8 on Sunday. I spent a lot of time just being. And that was great. Thanks to Mindy for watching our dogs last minute and to the universe for all things good.

I'm happy I got that in just in time for another weekend to begin. That should always be the way, shouldn't it?

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29 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fanfuckingtastic weekend! I like your pictures, but I rather enjoyed your paragraph about being so grateful you could almost cry.

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  2. impromptu getaways are the best! you toss in whatever you can from a packing perspective and just go with it. sometimes you can't plan it all but roll with the punches...those are often the best of times :)

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  3. WOW! That sounds awesome. I 100% envy your spontaneity! It's something I want to get better at because I'm horrible at last minute things. But how fun is it just kind of doing whatever you feel like?! :) Have a great weekend!

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  4. Spontaneous awesome trips are the best!! And what beautiful words about you being grateful for where you are. Thats exactly why you'll keep being blessed with good fortune! :D

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  5. That sounds absolutely perfect!!!!!

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  6. That honestly sounds like the most perfect weekend ever! I feel like that email was testing you to do the right thing by enjoying life and you passed! :) xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  7. seriously sounds like an amazing weekend. i love that you can just drop everything and go somewhere like this for the weekend - and if you've worked your butts off for years, you bloody well deserve it! the ice cream and frozen custard look ahhhmazing and i want to go there please. i'd love to do a spontaneous trip one day!

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  8. Where is Stone Harbor? I feel like I should know all shore towns but for some reason I can't place where that one is. Looks like the perfect weekend to me!

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  9. What a great way to spend a weekend. Spontaneous trips are the best!!

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  10. It's such a nice thing to realize you're at a place in your life where you're able to treat yourself like that. And Stone Harbor is such a lovely beach town! So glad you were able to take the impromptu weekend away and enjoy yourselves!

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  11. I'm so happy with my life it brings tears to my eyes sometimes too, I seriously thought I'd have to wait YEARS to live where I do. I'm so thankful every single day I'm here.

    I love your shore pictures. Seagulls are assholes and so are people who set up right on top of you!

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  12. Love this!! Taking a spontaneous trip was on my 30 before 30 which we completed in January. We booked a Groupon on Wednesday and left Thursday night, I loved it! This little town/area looks so awesome. I love that you guys are in a place to do things like this. Truly worth celebrating :)

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  13. I love that you took a real spontaneous trip. The one "spontaneous" trip I've taken was already a pre-planned day trip the location was just undetermined until that morning. As always the pictures are gorgeous & the food looks so good. The Springsteen photo reminded me that I've been meaning to go through my parents' albums all summer so thank you!

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  14. Looks like fun! Kudos to you for making the best of your weekends :)
    XOXO

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  15. So happy for you that you just went with it and had a great time. Is that one of those hat umbrellas?! Love the sunrises.

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  16. I never just head off anywhere unplanned and it sounds glorious!

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  17. Looks like a fabulous weekend, and all that food looks amazing! So glad you guys were able to go at the last minute, love it when things work out perfectly like that :)

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  18. I'm extremely jealous of this. this is the way to live, man!

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  19. A spontaneous weekend trip?! It's like I don't even know you, ha! Looks like a fabulous weekend.

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  20. Sounds like it turned out to be an amazing weekend so good thing you jumped on the opportunity! Love spur of the moment weekend getaways.

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  21. Being able to just up and go whenever the mood hits (and the stars align) is one of the greatest feelings in the whole world. You had a great weekend for the impromptu getaway too! I've never been to Stone Harbor but it looks so quaint, and those are my favorite. I'm happy you got MFD on board, he must have been so confused that it was you being the spontaneous one lol!

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  22. It looks like you had a freaking fantastic time!!! All of those sunrise rise photos are just breath taking and making me miss the beach so hard! And the food!!! You are killing me with the ice cream sandwich. I am all over here like GET IN MY BELLY!!!! I hope you have a great weekend!

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  23. That's so awesome you guys have worked your tails off to get to where you are. It's sweet reading just how grateful you are. Humble. :)

    Enjoy your weekend Hun xo

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  24. I love the photos of you and MFD... despite the lack of planning, you both look so happy and relaxed!!!! It looks like a fantastic escape!! I really love those last minute trips because I'm not obsessing about everything I have to get done! Sometimes it's really nice to just go!

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  25. Sounds like the perfect weekend. So glad you were able to make it happen. I love looking forward to trips but sometimes spontaneous ones turn out to be the best!

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  26. Being able to secure dog care last minute would hinder me, as well as my type A personality ;). I'd lie of I said it 2 because of my kids because it's not. They're generally go with the flow!

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  27. And glad you had a great time!

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  28. That's wonderful! Glad you were able to jet off that last minute getaway. :) The bf and I are planning a mini disappearance this weekend just because and it's nice to be able to do it. I know that feeling of gratitude of being in a better place in life than you once were. It's a wonderful feeling and I hope it only gets better! Glad you had a great weekend and take care Stephanie! -Iva

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  29. This is one of the things I miss most about living on the East Coast: the ability to just randomly decide you want a change of scenery and know this can be achieved with fairly minimal driving. Everything is so spread out and large in the Midwest.

    I think it's awesome that you were able to just say "fuck it" and take a spontaneous trip. Sometimes those turn out to be some of the most fun and exciting trips!

    Also, the seagull eating your sandwich really freaked me out. Birds in general kind of creep me out, and I'm pretty sure I would have completely lost my shit if that happened to me!

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