We've arrived safely home from our beach vacation in Miami, Florida.
(Micah with our four growing children...)
Did you know that leaving North East Wisconsin at 8:00am and driving straight through the night gets you to Miami by around mid-morning the next day? It sure was a long haul, (48 hours round trip!) but worth it to enjoy several days of salty waves and sunshine.
We rented a small house a block away from the beach. The interiors were painted bright white, and the floors throughout were a white and light grey tile that resembled cold marble. With blinds on every window to keep out the heat, it all worked together to produce a very cool effect.
(The view from the upstairs balcony.)
We found a grocery store close by the first evening we were there and purchased some essentials. Eating most meals "at home" helped to save a lot of money for our family of six.
I gave each of my children a travel journal at the beginning of the trip. It was fun to watch them jot down interesting tidbits that were unique to them.
Things we saw, places we went... they scribbled away here and there as the week went on...
The culture in Miami, I observed, was mostly deeply tanned retired couples, sipping Margaritas, lounging in beach chairs for hours. Those who were young were big into fitness. The boardwalk between our house and the water was constantly filled with runners, and the shoreline filled with Yoga practitioners... everyone just trying to live their best Miami life. It's always so fun to people-watch, isn't it? And aside from a few sketchy looking beach bums, who mainly kept to themselves, I wondered, who is local here? It all had a very laid-back, Spring Break vibe.
We set up our little spot in the sand and settled ourselves in...
Over the course of our stay, our beach neighbors consisted of a French-speaking couple, a young Spanish-speaking family, and group of friends with strong Boston accents. But it took walking past a cluster of young German-speaking men for it to dawn on me how Miami attracts visitors from all over the world.
Even us fair-complected Northerners...
On Sunday, we drove the 20-something minutes to Ft. Lauderdale to attend Sunday School and service at First Baptist Church.
It was a large and beautiful church, with an extremely welcoming congregation. One after one, they approached us to shake hands and offer a warm hello. We even received advice from a lady, originally from the gulf side, informing us that the Tampa/Clearwater area has better, more beautiful beaches than Ft. Lauderdale. I nodded, then whispered to Micah afterward, "Maybe next year?"
They made us feel at home.
It was a joy to worship there and learn from their teachers and pastor. I love when I'm reminded that God keeps a remnant of His people in all places.
As fun and exciting as it was to visit to new place and soak up the heat and humidity, it feels even better to be back at home.
I must admit, we got a little sick of feeling slightly tender from sunburn, and constantly gritty from sand.
Not to mention, did you know these roam freely in the wild?....
(Don't worry, we were safe inside our vehicle.)
Ahh... yes, home sweet home.
🐊🌴🐚
~ Courtney
