🌊 Coffee with the Waves
This week the hubs and I finally went camping — a trip we’d planned for months and looked forward to, even though the timing couldn’t have been worse. Between home projects, doctor appointments, and caring for his mom (whose needs are growing by the day), life has been… a lot. Add in a few tricky family dynamics, and we were both running on fumes.
So when we finally hit the road, it felt like one long exhale. The weather was perfect — blue skies, golden sunsets, and ocean breezes that carried the sound of waves right to our campsite. The clam chowder was creamy, the marshmallows were charred and black (just how I like them), and for a few days, the world felt beautifully still.
One of the biggest highlights? Meeting up with our son. We’d just dropped him off at grad school a couple of weeks ago, and the transition has had its ups and downs — for both of us. Seeing him again, laughing and joking like always, filled my heart in a way I didn’t realize I needed. He’s finding his footing, and that brought me so much peace.
But there was a bittersweet note, too. On our last morning, coffee mugs warming our hands, we stood on the beach watching the waves roll in — steady and familiar. I found myself writing my oldest’s name in the sand, tracing each letter before the tide reached up to claim it. It was my quiet goodbye to the beach, and a moment to whisper how much I still wish I could hug her, look into her eyes, and tell her she’s part of everything beautiful I see.
Sometimes a change of scenery doesn’t fix what’s heavy. You bring your heart with you, after all. But sometimes, a change of scenery gives you a little breathing room — a pause long enough for clarity to form and perspective to shift. The ocean air, the campfire laughter, the quiet moments by the shore… they didn’t erase the hard parts, but they helped me see them differently.
Maybe that’s what this trip was really about — not escaping life, but stepping away just far enough to breathe, to remember what still feels good, and to come home with a little more peace than before.
☕ Your Turn:
Have you ever taken a trip that helped you see things differently — not because everything changed, but because you did? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.
