I have a fun blog this week because I went on a vaycay with the girls! I was going to say our last name like “the Smith girls,” since “the girls” are my mom and my sister, but then I realized we all have different last names. And I wouldn’t want to share them here on the blog. ANYWAY, we went to Brigantine Beach last week just outside of Atlantic City and we had a blast.

This was actually our second annual trip to Brigantine, but this one seemed much more fun because we were well-prepared.

First of all, seagulls. I know, that isn’t a full sentence, but trust me, it is. As the kids say, IYKYK. If you don’t  know, the seagulls near Atlantic City are infamous. They will literally steal food out of your hand. Last year, my poor sister attempted to eat a pretzel and a seagull swooped down and nipped her arm! This year, we knew better. We brought food for hotel room consumption ONLY. Also, we knew to eat before heading to the beach or pool so we weren’t hungry.

Also, this year we knew who of us loves sitting in a chair, and who loves laying on a blanket on her stomach like a beached whale (me). We had two chairs and 5 sunscreens ready for long days in the sun. We also had games, lots of them. Throughout the 3 days, we played Uno, Taboo, and Scattergories. We also drank, but not nearly as much as we thought we would. We make this mistake every year and overestimate our love of inebriation.

The reason we love this hotel and went back to the same one is because it is a 5-minute walk to the beach, but it also has a rooftop pool. I love the beach, especially the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves, but sometimes I just want to be close to a bathroom, and not covered in sand. Also, there’s an added benefit of putting your feet in the water while you read. This year, my mom and I decided to read the exact same book at the same time. She was slightly ahead of me, but it was fun to talk about it. I also took a few long solo walks on the beach while I listened to some podcasts. It was so nice to have my feet in the sand, and to hear the crash of waves over my earbuds.

It’s a little hard to believe that I’ve made it 6 paragraphs into a post about the Jersey shore without mentioning Wawa, but do not fret. We stayed in Brigantine for three nights, and we went to Wawa 3 times. As one should. I got my fix of hoagies and iced coffees for at least another 2 weeks.

The one downside of the trip this year was that we had stormy weather every single night. Thankfully, though, it was gorgeous all day every day and we made the most of our rainy nights. One night we stayed in and played games. One night we went out to get amazing ice cream. And the other night, a true highlight: I finally saw the Barbie movie! I felt so left out of the conversation. After the first week of release, everyone had seen it, and no one would go with me. That is not entirely true, many people offered to see it with me a second time, but I felt like it just wasn’t the same if I was seeing it for the first time. However, of course it turned out that my mom and sister had both already seen it, too, because everyone had. Alas, it was still a great rainy activity, and they were both happy to see it again. We rummaged through our suitcases for any pieces of pink we could find and headed out. I ate far too much popcorn, which is exactly the right amount.

We had unintentionally amazing timing, since the Atlantic City Air Show was happening the final day, we were there. For the few days leading up, we got to see very cool (and LOUD) plane formations practicing, and on the final day after we checked out of the hotel, we headed down to the AC Boardwalk and caught the show up close and personal. We saw massive cargo planes, rescue helicopters, and the coolest part was the aerobatics. We watched planes take terrifying nosedives and barrel rolls. I was holding my breath (and my camera… see photographic evidence below) the whole time. It was extremely hot on the boardwalk without getting in the water, so we stayed just long enough to watch the show and buy some fudge.

Overall, I felt it was such a relaxing trip and I had fun, truly. I know my mom will read this and wonder if I was faking it, but I was not! Grief is strange, you can have an amazing few days, and then something can hit you like a ton of bricks. For example, on our final day there, we walked into a souvenir shop on the boardwalk for a quick respite from the heat. I looked at all of the t-shirts and tchotchkes and of course my eyes were drawn immediately to the tiny onesies. I remembered the last time I was in a shop like that on Fort Lauderdale beach for my close friend’s wedding in February. I was 23.5 weeks pregnant. I almost bought an adorable two-piece get-up for our baby-to-be. But I didn’t. And who knows if I ever will. Being in that store immediately cut me. But the way I know I’m healing is, I was able to move through that feeling and on to other feelings.

We dropped my sister off at the train station, and then my mom and I went back to my parents’ house. We went to a garden dedication for her friend where 5 of my mom’s friends asked if I had gotten taller. I’m not sure if they are shrinking or if I’m getting taller, but I’m wondering if I should measure myself just to be sure. Later that night, we saw Sutton Foster in concert at Longwood Gardens. Her song choice was meh, but her voice was amazing. I felt so lucky to see her and spend more time with my momma! I stayed at my parents’ house for the night and got to spend more time with them and a friend the next day going on walks around the neighborhood.

We had such a stress-free and great bonding week. Our hope is to make this an annual thing and do it again next year!