Florida

We just returned from a trip from the gulf coast of Florida. We stayed in a condo on Belleair Beach, which is just south of Clearwater Beach.

I had some “goals” for this trip, things I wanted to get done. I had them listed on the Notes app on my phone. Somehow I accidentally deleted the note. I don’t remember much about what was on it. I think “find a good typing program” was listed. I’m glad the note disappeared. I never looked at typing programs.

Lydia really enjoyed shell collecting, and we have a few library books on hold so she can read more about gastropods now that we are back. We all enjoyed referring to a book about Florida’s Living Beaches with information about shells, birds, plants, jellys, and more. Luke enjoyed refining his swimming skills in the building’s pool. I’m not sure what Keith’s favorite part was. Probably not going to work. 😘

I am surprised that one of my favorite things about the trip (besides adding several bird species to my life list) was living with just the few items we deemed essential enough to include in our two 40-pound suitcases. It felt so simple and streamlined. I am a minimalist at heart.

Other things felt harder, like cooking in a kitchen that wasn’t my own and using a dryer that took three cycles to get a load of clothes dry. But I feel more relaxed than when we left, so I consider it a successful vacation.