H and I recently got back from a 10-day vacation at his family’s home in DeBordieu, South Carolina. After much debate about whether to travel this summer, we agreed that for our mental health, we needed to relax at the beach. (I, in particular, felt this as I’m a teacher about to embark on a challenging school year.) We did it as safely as possible, not interacting with other people or entering any interior public spaces.
“Isolated” often has a negative connotation, but that’s exactly what our trip was. We were very isolated, and since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, we loved it. Here’s how we made this getaway happen safely:
We drove.
We felt that driving presented a much lower risk than flying. We only stopped once for gas each way, in which we wore gloves and used hand sanitizer thereafter. We did not use any public restrooms. When we had to go, we found a secluded spot, and let’s just say I had some help.
We packed food.
We did not stop at any public places to get food on our drive. Everything was packed in the car so we could eat on the go.
We stayed at H’s family’s house.
By staying at his family’s house, we did not have to deal with an unfamiliar space with potential germs or any other people.
We only ate at home.
We used Instacart to have groceries delivered to the house, and we got curbside takeout from a local restaurant one night. We ate at home for every meal.
We kept to ourselves.
Each day, we went to the beach, where there was plenty of space to spread out and keep away from other people. It was not crowded, and we never interacted with anyone else. We simply went from the beach to home and back daily, and that’s all we did. It felt so safe – and so relaxing!
This trip brought us joy and relaxation. It was full of salty days, long walks in the sand and swims in the ocean. Reading for hours on the beach and the porch of the house, overlooking the marsh and watching the wildlife. Eating comfort food and watching silly movies at night to make ourselves laugh and feel good. Listening to Folklore on repeat once it was released. We needed to let loose and have fun, and that’s exactly what we did.
I encourage you to seek joy. Even now, with everything going on in the world, you can feel content. Look for opportunities and moments to replenish your soul and spirit. Don’t hesitate to seize them.
P.S. Last year’s spring break trip to South Carolina and 10 ways to be relaxed & rejuvenated this summer.
