I recently wrapped up my family’s annual summer trip to the beach. We went to the same town on the Jersey shore we’ve gone to for years. We rented the same house for the 8th time in a row (and the 9th time overall). I do like traveling new places (more on another adventure coming soon!) But it is also nice to get to really know a place and make memories as we do our traditions repeatedly. Some things are the same and some things evolve and there feels like a good balance between them.
Anyway, it was a good two weeks. We started with family photos. My family was not particularly happy to get into our matching jeans and white shirts and hit the beach with others seeing us. But I think the pictures came out well. Project Christmas Card is well on its way to being done!
We had a couple good meals out. For instance, we hit Toast in nearby Asbury Park, plus Lili’s and Iron Whale on the boardwalk, and Sea Grass in Ocean Grove, plus a place in Pt. Pleasant (about 25 minutes away). We explored a handful of area ice cream parlors, expanding from the normal one. My eldest and I had some good iced oat milk vanilla lattes.
To counter all this eating I did a lot of running on the boardwalk. Never too far (my max was 4.7 miles I think) but frequently enough that I went most days.
There was a lot of beach time. Some beach visits were better than others, of course, but the good news about being there two weeks is that the less awesome visits get taken in stride.
On the activity front: we hit the pinball arcade in Asbury. My little guy spent a lot of time working on his Skee-ball game (current best score 210, he’s hoping to beat that in the future). My husband took the kids to Spiderman and took some of the kids on a fishing trip which was a bit more adventurous than planned when the boat broke down and they had to be picked up by another boat. (Note: he wasn’t captaining! We had rented a boat with a captain for the afternoon.) I took the two kids who enjoy shopping to an outlet mall nearby that had a Hollister, Aerie, J. Crew, an Old Navy and an Uggs. Talk about a win.
I also spent a lot of time just sitting on the porch feeling the ocean breezes. The house we rent has an absolutely spectacular porch. Much as I love my “real” house it does not really have anything like that so my two weeks enjoying that porch are a treat each year.
I was a little emotional leaving (I had to leave two days early for a work commitment) as we start to have the weight of tradition and nostalgia with this place. I remember taking family photos when my little guy was a baby. I remember all the kids being a lot younger in past years — and this year my husband had to leave at another point to take our oldest to his new school (Vanderbilt in Nashville, for those who missed that announcement). Even the little guy is not that little (though still little enough to throw the occasional tantrum…). I hope year to year that we’ll get another year, another summer, though nothing in life is ever guaranteed. So I make sure to treat these beach days as little jewels, special because of their rarity.
This recap is so happy, Laura. While also bittersweet. I feel similarly about some of our summer traditions, most specifically visiting my parents home on a lake. They’re getting older and won’t be able to stay there indefinitely, but I’ve been going every year since I was born. That’s… a lot of years of going to the same place every summer season.
It doesn’t really make sense to keep it in the family because it’s remote and we’re all quite scattered around the world. But my heart does ache a bit each time I visit, knowing at some point—relatively soon—my streak will end.
@Elizabeth – I hear you. Maybe it would make sense to keep it in the family if you could rent it out some of the time? But yes, someone would have to manage it and if you’re all scattered….It is sad to know that all things end eventually, even if the streak has been going for a while.
I feel this. Before we went to the beach every summer, we visited my in-laws in Western NC. Getting there and back was a whole thing but I was gorgeous and we had so many traditions. Then my FIL passed away unexpectedly and my MIL couldn’t manage the house on her own. By the following summer my MIL was moved and the house was sold. I still miss that corner of the world.
It the 9 years since our last visit. We have made new traditions and while I clicked to re-rent our beach house summer while still sitting on the beach this summer, I am not sure how much longer we will carry on this tradition. People in my family seem to be interested in other travel priorities and there is only so much time.
@Gillian – yep – my parents made a decision to leave Indiana to move to the east coast a few years ago. It is strange to think I may never be back in South Bend Indiana again in my life! I’m hoping the beach tradition can continue for a while. I at least like the beach so I might keep going even if others don’t, and my work is flexible enough that for me it’s not as much of a trade off…(though I wouldn’t need as big a house just for me!)
First of all, Laura, welcome back!
It sounds like another great stay at the beach. Treating these experiences as little jewels is a great attitude, and you’re right, nothing is guaranteed. I am a good example of that, this year for sure. Since March I’ve had a series of injuries which have greatly limited my ability to move around and generally enjoy the days of summer. At one point I thought all hope for was lost for our annual summer getaway to Door County (Wi), which is my most treasured tradition for this season.
As it turns out, I’ve recovered more quickly than anticipated and am going to be able to enjoy an abbreviated stay up there after all. I’m seriously embracing the concept of four nights being better than none! No, it’s not the nine we planned for, but I plan to get to get the absolute most we can out of those four nights. And good luck to your son on his transfer to Vanderbilt!
@Holly – so glad you are feeling well enough to get your Door County trip! And yes, it is better to have four days than zero days – I hope they are little jewels for you too.