Dad post!

I know Father's Day posts are probably old news by now, but due to a dab of nostalgia this afternoon, I decided to partake in this cliche trend. Sort of.


What's different about my post? Well, for one, I'm not going to talk about how my father taught valuable life lessons, or how he let me dance on his feet when I was little, or tell a cute story about him scaring away boyfriends. Why? Well, for as long as I can remember, I have spent very little time with my Dad (don't worry, this isn't a daddy-never-hugged me post, I promise).

Every summer growing up, my Mom would put me on a plane and I would fly to Atlanta to visit my Dad. As soon as I'd land, we'd jump right in to his white Nissan pickup truck and drive six hours to the beach where we would spend two weeks at the beach with the whole family. These memories are some of the most fond memories I have of my childhood, and is where I developed my love for the ocean. My dad didn't know much about child-rearing, and we'd always bicker at the end of the two week stay, but he was always fun, trying as hard as he could to make up for being so far away. For that alone, I love my Daddy.

The weirdest part about family is how little you have to see them to feel connected to them. My whole life I've been told I am the spitting image of my father and always detested the comment. Now, I embrace it. He's a guy full of character, and a pretty cool Dad, too!
I can't wait to spend time with him at the beach this July, just like old times!

Beach, beach, beach.

Okay, so today may be a little gloomy, but I am loving the spurts of sunshine we have had as of late. The smells of summer are finally making their debut as people begin feverishly mowing their lawns and lighting up their charcoal grills. I have been basking in it as much as possible, taking walks with the boy and the dog, or reading articles on the deck... anything to take in the smell/feel of summer before it gets too terribly hot!

For me, the most nostalgic scent for summer is salt water and stinky paper mills. Sounds silly, but growing up I spent my summers in south Georgia, collecting freckles, sand dollars, and a love for the ocean.

My last trip to St. Simon's Island, GA/ Tybee Island, GA/ Savannah, GA/ St. Augustine, Fla. was in 2009. I took David there to share with him the places that hold a big part of my heart and a whole slew of fond memories. (and as an attempt to convince him of our need to move to the south after college-- I think it worked!).

(my dream beach house, it was For Sale in 2009, if only...)

As you can imagine this mermaid has missed her beach terribly.

Luckily this summer, David and I, along with my baby brother who is visiting from Brazil, will be road tripping it back to my old stomping grounds. This time will be even more special as we are going to meet my brand new niece! Baby Samantha is due in 2 weeks, I am getting so excited to meet the sweet cheeks and for my new role as "crazy Aunt Andrea". Not to mention, I need to get my beach fix. 

I'm one month away. All I'll need is SPF 50, my kindle, a packed cooler, a koozie, and a beach chair... I cannot wait!