Making big family shifts when faced with adversity
We looked at each other last fall and just knew. Neither of us had anything left. The summer had left us battered and bruised, for the first time in our marriage our energy was unbalanced. We thought the plan was going to be helpful: keep Z home, help with the transition, give them some camp versatility to keep them engaged and having fun. Spoiler alert: it did not work, not in the slightest.
The road to recovery was long and painful – another blog post for another time – and as we started planning our summer this year we knew things had to be different.
One of the biggest regrets we had from 2024 was not taking intentional time in the summer just for the four of us. With a larger 10 year anniversary trip for Jon and I on the books we looked for the space and budget to make it work for us and the kiddos.
A few things we needed when we looked into options:
- Keep it simple. This is post school end and in still in transition mode we needed to honor and respect their process in that.
- Space to rest and relax. I mean you can’t relax and ton with a 5 and a 4 year old but as long as everyone has space to be in chill mode it makes a world of difference.
- Accessibility and familiarity. We didn’t necessarily want to hit somewhere completely new and we wanted proximity to grocery stores, walkable spots, etc.
For as long as I can remember, and I am pretty sure it’s my whole life my family had been vacationing in Destin. It’s a safe spot, all the like and dislikes, the general vibe of the area, easy access to everything we need all are huge wins for continuing to go here. In 2016 I brought Jon down for the first time, to celebrate our anniversary. He’s now a big fan.
We’ve been to a whole lot of shores over our life: from the South Shore of Miami to the pristine beaches of the Bahamas, from the port of Pattaya in Thailand, to the White Cliffs of Dover, all the way to the leisurely and stunning spots in Hawaii and yet the Emerald coast upholds its own in beauty and it just feels like home.
Reasons why we love it:
- The easy 5 hour drive.
- Grocery stores everywhere
- So many options for places to stay right on the water
- The Donut Hole
Reasons why it might not be for everyone:
- It’s busy. The traffic can be atrocious at times – this is why we make our list of things to do and then stay somewhere that keeps us in close proximity.
- It’s gotten expensive. 30 years ago and now are not the same. The area has grown and so have the prices.
We headed down Sunday (special shout out to my new favorite coffee truck : Grit & Grind Coffee )and Monday morning hit the state park beach *which is free to the public on Memorial Day and enjoyed time outside before going to grab an easy lunch at Firehouse Subs.
We spent the next little bit exploring before we settled into our cute condo at Sandpiper Cove (you can go through Airbnb or calling their rental office). This is tucked in the cove but close to everything. We walked to the ice cream shop, and to Target, and there are a ton of options close by!
I like to feed the kids a mix of ‘home-esque’ foods and some fun treats outside which is why I almost always opt for a spot with a nice size kitchen. This time I also brought a fresh bag of ground beans for the coffee pot so that expense was kept to a minimum and both Jon and I enjoyed that move.
Our general rule is one meal out a day and the kids never seem to mind! Can anyone else relate to not wanting to feel the push to find a restaurant for every meal?
On Tuesday it was time for the Donut Hole round #1. Unfortunately Elijah ended up with a cruddy ear infection so we ordered it to go, but with a great picnic table on the porch set up at our condo it was a great experience. We spent so much time on the beach Tuesday which was life giving in so many ways. Watching the kids get to do their own thing and have fun in their own way was like a breath of fresh air and getting to enjoy just sitting there with the ability to give them just a hair more freedom meant actually reading on the beach.
Wednesday hit and we enjoyed the first part of the day at the beach and the latter part of the day hitting up go-carts, Mini-Golf and dinner at The Back Porch. we wondered if the kids were a little too young, but honestly they were great and they loved getting to do something new and different.
The last thing the kids wanted to do on Thursday was leave, but all good things must come to an end and it wasn’t without a second and final stop to the Donut Hole. Being an hour earlier than we are used to time-zone wise has it advantages and getting to restaurants before the crowds hit is one of them.
We sat in rain almost the whole way home and added almost an extra hour to our travel time – poor Jon, so we got home and were a little beat but we won’t regret taking the space and time to do something just the four of us!
Do you have a ‘go-to’ spot for your family?
Fueling Her Forward 
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