1. When there are no small kids involved, you tend to spend less time swimming around and more time playing on the beach, so come prepared with frisbees and ladderball and all kinds of nonsense.

2. When the water is clear, make the most of it. My cousins were pro scavengers this week. We stumbled upon so many sting rays and small sharks and random fish. Very cool.

3. Remember to bring tennis shoes because we do a great deal of bike riding. Not sure why but the sun tends to feel 10x hotter at the beach than it does at home. I attempted a handful of short runs this week, 1-2 milers, and all were just about dreadful. All of that to say, bike riding is the way to go when looking for exercise at the beach.

4. Take lots of pictures so that Dad can enjoy photo-bombing them. I happen to really like this shot. This week, I’ve reflected on a lot of things, and gratitude for my dad is one of them.

5. Family vacation is super great, one of my favorite parts of summer, but having your fiance join you inches that happy-meter up a good bit. My heart continues to swell wider and deeper.

6. Bring plenty of beach-reading. Not only am I a bookworm by nature, I also cannot lay out on the beach unless I have some sort of reading material. I brought a 3-in-1 faith fiction series and finished it in 3 days. Thankfully, I have two others that kept me out in the sun the rest of the day.

 

7. When you’re on family vacation, it’s best to feel free to eat whatever you enjoy. There’s a local ice

cream shop on the island we’ve been visiting for years. We probably go 5 out of the 7 nights we’re here. You enjoy the treat, the company, and don’t be hard on yourself.

8. Embrace the small moments. Random walks and catch-up conversations with cousins, the laughter of a beach game, helping with dinner, being silly, reflecting on love in the grand and in the mundane.