When I was a child, somebody put a big, blue plastic camera in my grubby hands. I got older and the cameras got fancier and I “studied” photography in high school then college and I took a LOT of photos. So now I’m going to post my photos in no particular order with captions that may or may not have something to do with what’s in them – my new experiment in creative confidence.
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Have you ever gone on a family vacation with someone else’s family?
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When you go on vacation with your family, its a lot of catching up and traditions and usually some sort of occasion. I love seeing my family.
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But when you go on vacation with a family that isn’t yours, it’s different. There’s no obligation. There’s just time.
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A few years ago, Mary’s family absorbed me into their yearly beach vacation. We drove down to the outer banks, stopping at Morris’s for peaches and pickles and popcorn on the way, and stayed for an entire week.
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I had just graduated college, just had my first big breakup, and just spent a couple months at my first full time job. And I had only met Mary two or three times before this trip. It’s a long story but basically, Ashley – who I actually knew – was supposed to go. She had to cancel.
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When Mary called to tell me I’d be the only non-family member going and she understood if it felt too strange, I did what any 20-something does with a fresh dilemma – went home and told mommy.
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I asked her if she thought it was weird to go. I was packed. I’d already asked for the days off of work. Really, I wanted to go. But I thought it would be weird.
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Mom said it would be fine. She told my brother to drop me off at Mary’s the night before we left and if I changed my mind by morning, they could always pick me up.
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So I went.
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To be continued…
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📷 This is a photo of life at the beach.