St Augstine

 At the end of June, I headed to Florida to meet up with my parents and the Bakers for a mini beach vacation. My parents' friends let us stay at their beach condo for free. (This happens to them all the time somehow. It's amazing). It was right on the beach, which was the best part. (It would've had an ocean view too if the building wasn't under construction. But beggars can't be choosers).

Highlights included daily visits to the beach, swims in the condo pool, daily drawing time with Malakai, trips to get ice cream and a visit to Ponce DeLeon State Park.

Embracing my transformation into a "comfort lady" with my kaftan and big ole hat

On the day we went to the state park, we got up early so we could be first in line at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant. This eatery is in the old sugar mill (as the name says) and has the best pancakes I've maybe ever had. Plus, you get to make them yourself at the griddles embedded in the table. It was a fun experience.

At the state park, we also went on a walk, dipped our toes into the natural spring and went on a pontoon ride.

The trip ended on an anxious note for me because I broke my phone and had to travel without one. (As someone with a lot of travel anxiety this is like my top anxiety). On top of that, back home, Levent had covid so bad that he could not pick me up from the airport (which we realized a few hours before my flight home). But after some favors called in to friends and some hours of panicking while eating the best fried chicken sandwich of my life, it all worked out. And thankfully all my flights went smoothly. (We had a very late lunch at Mojo BBQ in Old Town, St Augustine.

It was all worth it to be back at the ocean after 4 years.