North Carolina is not exotic, but it is beautiful and peaceful. I love North Carolina. From the mountains to the beaches, this state has natural beauty, history, lore, friendly people, and just a nameless something that eases the tension of everyday life.

Peter’s family is from Hawaii and still lives on the islands. It is such a treat to visit paradise on Earth and also visit with family. Unfortunately, getting to Hawaii is very expensive. We are only able to visit every few years. Although visiting Ohio from Hawaii is not nearly as much fun as the reverse, most of the family did visit our home recently which was wonderful.

In the non-Hawaii years while we are saving for the ‘big’ trip, we try to take an inexpensive family vacation. Peter is a surfer and needs the ocean. But I think the need to see the ocean is no less for me. I love the feel of the sand in between my toes and fingers, the healing effects of the salt-water, the smell of the sea, the force of something bigger and better than me sitting there willing to kick my butt.

Some years we trek to Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Tennessee, Texas or South Carolina. We have even visited Hot Springs, Virginia, Indianapolis, Lexington, Chicago and Cleveland. I read magazines and internet sites and keep a record of places we would like to visit one day. I do have to say that every place that we have visited has been wonderful and unique in it’s own way and I do not regret spending time and money in any of them.

This summer was a treat! After researching the Carolinas, I found a place that is truly special. For a week, we ate seafood that came off of the boat that morning. Most nights we bought seafood from a woman who was the daughter of the fisherman. She and her sisters operated the shop, while their father caught and brought in the product. We cooked the seafood in our rental home kitchen which was fully outfitted and newly remodeled. If we decided to eat out, we rode our bikes down the street to the local restaurants to see what they did with the catch that night.

From sand dollars and sea shells of all kinds to surfing, the sea was a bounty of riches. Peter was rewarded for 2 years of hard work away from the sea with beautiful surfing waves. The week we were there followed 2 weeks of searing heat and rain which left the sea rolling, warm and foamy. The locals were literally running onto the beach at high tide, surf boards under their arms. The lifeguards would close their chair at the end of their shift and head into the sea, not home.

I found a parallel between the people who float and enjoy the waves of the ocean and people who fight and resist the waves of life. Fight the waves and drown, float and enjoy the waves and have a beautiful day.

Of course, no trip is complete without the laughably terrible experience. We brought our dog, Jack, on vacation with us. Many hotels now allow pets which, in my personal opinion, is a very wise and profitable business decision. For the drive down, I made reservations at a hotel near the highway which allowed for dogs under 15 lbs. Sounds great! The room was on the highway, I mean we could feel the trucks going by. When we checked in, the hotel told us that they did us a big favor by allowing us room service (it was ending in 5 minutes.) I told Peter that it was the worst meal we had ever paid so much for, and happily! We ate everything, we were starving for ‘real’ food even if it was microwaved. Nonetheless, we did not have to go out and invest in Febreeze like we did in Ocean City(-a different vacation story.)

The funny thing is that we had a similar experience driving home. We decided to wing-it and try to find a hotel after driving as far as we could without falling asleep. We could only do this because our son, Pierson, is an angel. Peter and I have achieved the dream of a lifetime in our son. He is the best parts of both of us with his own mind and unique personality, and he is more intelligent, caring, and funny than either of us. He is a treasure. And at this point in the trip he is patient and happy.

But I digress, the hotel experience driving home was desperate at best. I hate winging-it while traveling. Peter would grab cash, passport, shoes and 2 changes of clothes and go with the wind. I do not mind doing that when it is low season, but we went on vacation the last week in July. There is no higher vacation season. But I will go along with Peter against my better judgment when he says he ‘knows’ that things will work out and to trust him. So I did and as usual, he was right.

The hotel room was expensive because there was a horse show in town but we got the very last hotel room. No dogs were allowed in the hotel. We had to smuggle Jack into the hotel in a suitcase that we had emptied. Peter and I were riding up in an elevator to the room with the suitcase (with Jack inside) and another man. Jack started snuffling at the zipper so Peter and I started clearing our throats to cover the noise. The man must have thought we were insane! As soon as he got off of the elevator, we burst out laughing!! Poor Jack was not happy in the suitcase, but he snuggled into the hotel bed and went to sleep.

We made it to the room and went to bed in the last room in town with Peter, Pierson, Jack and I all in the same big king-sized bed. A really funny end to a perfect vacation!