That...feeling.
![That...feeling.](/content/images/size/w960/2023/07/IMG_3645.jpg)
Last week my family took a day trip to the beach. Wrightsville Beach to be exact. It was the Tuesday of the week I had taken off to enjoy some time with my family. I wanted to be fully present for a few days during their short 5 week Summer break.
We all hustled that morning to make sure we go out the door at a reasonable time which means there was an added element to the regular chaos. We also had my monther in law in town, which is great, but can also add to the craziness a bit. So, we hopped in the car and a couple hours later we were sitting at an open air restaurant located right on the pier, beach on either side, and nothing but the Atlantic in front of us. At that moment, I just felt such a wave of peace. I think we all did.
The sky was blue, the ocean was crystal clear, we saw so many jellyfish doing there thing about 50 yards from the shore, and the sun was shining. I enjoyed every ounce of that day. I stole my 8 year olds scuba mask and grabbed handfuls of shells to bring back to shore, dove into the waves, and just floated. I felt like a kid again. Is there a better feeling?
![](https://www.johnkchiaro.com/content/images/2023/07/IMG_3652.jpg)
After a few hours, it was time to start heading home. Just enough time to get our fill of salt water and sand. We used gallon water jugs to clean ourselves off, likely to the chagrin of the restaurant goers heading to dinner as we were parked in lot of the restaurant we ate lunch and it was now the start of the evening rush. We could have cared less.
To top things off, we decided on ice cream for dinner. The look on my kids faces when we told them this was the game plan was a sort of stunned horror. Don't worry, we made sure to give them some proper dinner-esque food (compliments of my always prepared better half and master chef) on our way over to my now new favorite ice cream place Boombalattis. All were satisfied!
The drive home was quiet and content, and we all slept like logs. I would put this down as an absolutely ideal day. I would be A-OK reliving that one a few hundred more times.
Its a day I will look back on with sheer gratitude and joy. It was worth at least 10 bad days...probably more! I want to immortalize it so I don't forget that a hard reset, a unplug and plug it back in, a perspective shift, is only a short drive and a sunny day away. Don't forget to cherish those precious moments!
![](https://www.johnkchiaro.com/content/images/2023/07/IMG_3663.jpg)