South Carolina Reunion Part 1
Summer's Not Over Yet!
Senior year, I had to miss the second and third day of school. I had to miss those days because my mom’s Italian side of the family was having the annual Litchfield Beach family reunion that weekend. We were so excited! We hadn’t seen them for a long time and cousins, aunts, and uncles were coming from all over the country just to celebrate each other and as a bonus, my Uncle Larry’s 80th birthday.
8/2/19: Friday- Senior Year, Driving, & A Hotel Night
After the first day of school, my family jumped in our already packed car and headed for South Carolina. We drove for hours and hours until we finally made it to the hotel we were staying at for the night with our Texan Aunt Elaine and Uncle Tommy. We were so happy to see each other but parted for bed so we could all head out in the morning.
8/3/19: Saturday- Columbia, Georgetown, & Pawleys Island
When we all woke up, we ate breakfast together and then got on the road to head for our destination: Pawleys Island. On the way, we stopped in Columbia to visit my mom’s childhood home and park. We loved getting to see where she grew up for part of her life and played as a child. Then, we stopped at the Ball & Que in Georgetown for lunch, eating chicken fingers and burgers.
After lunch, we made it to the beach house. It was a large house right near the ocean that almost the whole family was able to stay in; those who wanted their own place stayed at the Litchfield Inn around the corner. My family claimed an upstairs bedroom with two beds, a bathroom, and lots of windows.
Cousins? Cousins!
Once we were settled in, more family started to arrive. Our cousins from Minnesota came first; mom hadn’t seen some of them since she was a kid, and Zooey and I had never met them before. We got to meet our cousins Mia, Kiana, Lauren, and Bob and our step cousins Kyle, Harper, and Riker. We all talked for a while, getting to know each other, and then helped everyone settle in.
Funnily enough, a running theme this trip was trying to figure out how everyone was related, with mom going through all the first, second, and once removed titles, but in the end, it didn’t really matter; we were just happy to be together, knowing family was family no matter the relationship.
Later, we all went down to the beach and said hello to the ocean. The waves were rougher up here and great for boogieboarding. We talked about our plans for the day and then headed back to the house.
That night, Aunt Elaine, mom, Zooey, and I all went to Publix and got some things for the weekend. We even ended up getting a free volleyball and becoming friends with our cashier, Caroline, who we would see again that weekend.
When we got home, we all ate cheese, pepperoni, and margherita pizza for dinner and my homemade cookies for dessert. Then, Zooey and I played hide and seek with the younger cousins, Mia, Riker, and Harper, before we all headed to bed.
The next day, we all went on a walk to say good morning to the ocean and then headed back to eat cereal for breakfast. After eating, everyone got ready for a beach adventure!
We all walked down and hung out at the ocean for a few hours. I went swimming and boogieboarding, while the kids played in the sand and the family spent time together. The ocean always makes me feel at absolute peace with no worries and just pure happiness; it truly is a place of heaven on Earth.
After the beach, mom and I headed to Eagles Beachwear to buy some beach jewelry, shirts, and a beach dress. We love the place and always visit the surf shop a few times during our stay. Then, we headed back to the house to pick up my Aunt Elaine and go back to Publix to pick up some dinner ingredients and a birthday cake for my Uncle Larry. We picked out a colorful beach cake for him, saying hi to Caroline as she ended up being our cashier again!
Later that day, even more family arrived. Uncle Larry and cousin Rob came from North Carolina all ready to eat! Mom and I actually had to go out hunting for pasta and sauce pots because our kitchen supplies was too small, and so we asked random neighbors if we could borrow some; it was really funny! Once everything was ready, all of us ate pasta, meatballs, and mom's homemade garlic knots.
After dinner, a whole bunch of cousins from New Jersey and Philadelphia showed up to celebrate Uncle Larry's 80th! We all ate the cake and he opened up his presents. Then, he requested the kids put on a show for everyone, a tradition we've always honored. Zooey orchestrated the performance and we all put on a dance of birthday wishes for our Uncle.
After the performance, mom, Zooey, Mia, Kiana, Kyle, Harper, Riker, and I all headed out for a night walk on the beach. We danced in the water, watched crabs skitter across the sand, and then took pictures as a family before heading back up for bed.
The first part of our trip was already so amazing as we met new family and became one with the ocean; read the next post to find out what we did next!
Planning, Publix, & Pizza
Later, we all went down to the beach and said hello to the ocean. The waves were rougher up here and great for boogieboarding. We talked about our plans for the day and then headed back to the house.
That night, Aunt Elaine, mom, Zooey, and I all went to Publix and got some things for the weekend. We even ended up getting a free volleyball and becoming friends with our cashier, Caroline, who we would see again that weekend.
When we got home, we all ate cheese, pepperoni, and margherita pizza for dinner and my homemade cookies for dessert. Then, Zooey and I played hide and seek with the younger cousins, Mia, Riker, and Harper, before we all headed to bed.
8/4/19: Sunday- Litchfield Beach, Shopping, & More Family
The next day, we all went on a walk to say good morning to the ocean and then headed back to eat cereal for breakfast. After eating, everyone got ready for a beach adventure!
We all walked down and hung out at the ocean for a few hours. I went swimming and boogieboarding, while the kids played in the sand and the family spent time together. The ocean always makes me feel at absolute peace with no worries and just pure happiness; it truly is a place of heaven on Earth.
Eagles Beachwear & Publix (Again)
After the beach, mom and I headed to Eagles Beachwear to buy some beach jewelry, shirts, and a beach dress. We love the place and always visit the surf shop a few times during our stay. Then, we headed back to the house to pick up my Aunt Elaine and go back to Publix to pick up some dinner ingredients and a birthday cake for my Uncle Larry. We picked out a colorful beach cake for him, saying hi to Caroline as she ended up being our cashier again!
Family Fun, Random Neighbors, & Birthday Celebration
Later that day, even more family arrived. Uncle Larry and cousin Rob came from North Carolina all ready to eat! Mom and I actually had to go out hunting for pasta and sauce pots because our kitchen supplies was too small, and so we asked random neighbors if we could borrow some; it was really funny! Once everything was ready, all of us ate pasta, meatballs, and mom's homemade garlic knots.
After dinner, a whole bunch of cousins from New Jersey and Philadelphia showed up to celebrate Uncle Larry's 80th! We all ate the cake and he opened up his presents. Then, he requested the kids put on a show for everyone, a tradition we've always honored. Zooey orchestrated the performance and we all put on a dance of birthday wishes for our Uncle.
Family Night Time Beach Walk
After the performance, mom, Zooey, Mia, Kiana, Kyle, Harper, Riker, and I all headed out for a night walk on the beach. We danced in the water, watched crabs skitter across the sand, and then took pictures as a family before heading back up for bed.
More To Come...
The first part of our trip was already so amazing as we met new family and became one with the ocean; read the next post to find out what we did next!
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