We took our first vacation in years recently. James, my youngest, had never seen a beach. Erick likes horses. Samantha, the oldest, wanted to stay fairly close to home. So we went to Virginia for a few days. We had been to Shenandoah a few times, and that was Erick’s first choice. But Sam said no, we’ve been there before.

So we went to Chincoteague, sort of. We stayed in a lovely AirB&B a bit more than 30 minutes away. We made multiple trips to Chincoteague and Assateague. James finally got to go to the beach. We found a bookstore. The older kids, Sam, her boyfriend Cam, and Erick, visited a brewery. And on our last day, we saw the ponies! In the best possible way. A small southern herd was grazing in a field. They were far enough away to not be bothered by people, and close enough for photographs.

I also took some work and schoolwork with me. So did Sam. We were only there for a bit less than three days, but even that bit of time reminded me that my daughter and I are very much alike.

Schoolwork actually seemed easier. I don’t know if it was that I was working in a familiar chapter, that I was more relaxed, or because the adult “kids” kept James occupied. Whatever the reason, it felt good to understand the material.

James and I went swimming at a pool. It was basically a refresher course for James. His last swimming lessons were before the pandemic.

All in all, we had a great trip. It felt too short to me, but everyone left happy. That’s amazing.