Vacation location - change is in the air


The news was unexpected. Exciting, but a game changer.

Soon upon arriving for our annual spring break trip to the Florida panhandle, we learned my in-laws are most likely going to be moving, both from their home and from the beach condo. There's a baby on the way in the family, and that baby and parents will likely be in Portland Oregon soon, so grandparents would follow. That will mean four, and soon to be five, members of our family would be on the west coast. Which is exciting, but also very mysterious. I've spent most of my life in the Midwest and Southern U.S. A tiny bit on the East Coast. But, although I've been to the Bay Area numerous times, as well as San Diego, LA, and Seattle, I HAVE NOT BEEN TO PORTLAND.

I hear they have great donuts.

It got me thinking about all the past trip transitions that have been a part of my life:
  • Five, maybe more, years going to St. Louis over Labor Day for the Gateway Cup cycling series. We came down from Wisconsin and my parents and sister came up from Arkansas, and other family and friends joined in occasionally along the way. We had our race hotel, favorite watch spots, including the front yard of a very nice man who lived in The Hill neighborhood. Traveling for sporting events is a blast, especially if you aren't the one racing.
  • Our original family trips to Seaside, FL. Those years involved Modica Market waffles with strawberries, sand dunes, shrimp and sunburns. The best!
  • Our second generation of visiting Florida when my parents lived close to where we vacationed. The Santa Rosa Beach years now had a toddler, an actual house near the beaches in which to stay, and crazy regional flights back and forth.
  • El Dorado Thanksgiving with fried turkeys, Spudnuts and Health Works transitioning to Beach Thanksgiving with still fried turkeys, hazy beaches and doubles tennis.
I anticipate that when the time is right, I'll travel with Jeff to spend time in the panhandle on our third iteration. We'll see how that unfolds over time.

Having places of pilgrimage brings a lot to life. Maybe it's a one-time visit of a lifetime, or an annual ritual that layers on experiences over time. Either way, I am looking forward to how this new element unfolds, and how good the donuts are. 


Me and Baby John at the beach, circa 2001

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