Yogalveston

Hey there, wabbits!

Sometimes, you just need to get away. I was reminded of this fact recently, and this is a pretty simple post just to remind you of this fact too.

So, story time!

A couple of weeks ago my mother-in-law called me out of the blue and said that she had a few days off of work and needed a beach getaway and a travel buddy. The timing was perfect, because I really didn't have much going on that week. I quickly gave her an enthusiastic "yes!" and rearranged the few things I had on my schedule.

The next day, she picked me up after work and we hit the road. We decided to drive to Galveston, which is only about 3 hours away from us. That first night we stayed at an affordable hotel and decided that we would find a nicer place the next day. And that we did!

The next morning we found a condo on Air B&B. It was RIGHT on the beach, and we were super excited. We booked it for two nights. We had a couple of hours to spare before we could check in to the condo, so we went to the historic (and touristy) area of Galveston. We wandered around, did a little bit of shopping (we are female, afterall), and ate an AMAZING lunch. Seriously, one of the best meals of my life. We had fried zucchini as an appetizer, and then we split a big strawberry balsamic salad and an alfredo pizza. I will most definitely be trying to make my own homemade versions of these things in the near future. Stay tuned.

Before checking into our condo, we went to the nearest grocery store. We decided that we wanted to get all of our food for the next 48 hours ready to go so that we could be hermits in our beach condo (and on the attached beach, of course) for the remainder of our trip. We mostly picked up snacky-style foods so that we could feast throughout the trip. We got lots of breads, cheeses, crackers, dips, and fruit.

Once we checked into the condo, we basically were in beach bliss for the following two days. We sat and chatted on our porch (which overlooked the ocean), we relaxed in the hot tub, we did yoga on the beach, we went for a couple of walks in the much-appreciated summer weather, and I did some reading. Oh, and we drank delicious wine. I even slept on a pull-out couch in the living room, just so I could keep the doors to the balcony open and hear the waves throughout the night.

I don't do spontaneous things very often. I'm usually the type to plan every detail ahead of time when it comes to vacations. I'm glad I do this, because planning ahead means that I get to do some really cool things! However, there was something truly wonderful about having absolutely no plan this time. She and I both just wanted to relax and enjoy ourselves, and there was absolutely no pressure to be on a schedule.

I didn't quite realize that I needed a getaway, but it was very much appreciated! The last few weeks leading up to the trip were filled with apartment-hunting, internship hours, a brief health scare with the bunny (luckily he has fully recovered now) and plain old adulting responsibilities. I was grateful that the timing happened to work out perfectly, but I recognize that opportunities may not always land that way. When I am able to work them out, however, I'm going to make more of an effort in the future to say "yes"!  I'm sure glad I did this time.

Do you need a getaway? Maybe driving to the beach isn't an option for you, but you can get creative! Maybe you can go get a pedicure with your mom or sister, spend the day with a friend you haven't seen in a while, or just enjoy a sunny afternoon at the park. Just think of this as a reminder that it's okay to take a step back and indulge in some self care sometimes, whatever that self care may look like for you.

Enjoy some pictures of our lovely getaway!

 

We found this fun sign while wandering around the historic area!

 

I loved spending my mornings with a cup of tea and a view of the sea.

 

This might be the one thing we ate in the condo that was a more typical "meal" -  tomato basil soup! Yum!

 

Tomatoes, basil, mozarella, and fancy rosemary salt. Delish!

 

Probably my favorite meal. Bread, fancy olive oil, and wine in our matching wine glasses!

 

She loves me even when my hair attacks her face.

 

Beach yoga is the best yoga.

 

Enjoying the sound of the waves.... you can tell it's breezy because I have one stray hair that is trying to run away!

 

Happy summer, wabbits!