Beach Life Lately + What’s Next?

Hi friends!

It’s past due time for a blog update, so here goes nothing!

I’ve been having too much fun sharing on my YouTube channel since Vlogmas kicked off back in December but I always have such a special place in my heart for my blog. There’s just nothing that compares to typing out a few thoughts which is why I always find myself back here in front of my computer.

I hope 2022 has been treating you well! Anyone else feel like 2021 was a blur and when you think back over the past “year” it feels like it was just 2020 a second ago? Just me? Surely not…Hear me when I say I’m THANKFUL beyond words we’re past 2020 but I just can’t quite get a grip on how fast time has been going. It’s almost MID 2022! WHATT???? Time slow down!

We’ve officially been in Florida 7 months which is absolutely blowing my mind! We signed an 11-month lease so “what’s next” has been looming over us recently. Who knows where we’ll end up or what city we’ll call home come August but I’ll be sure to keep you posted when we decide. The thought of RV life has been on our minds lately because there’s just so much we want to see across the US but the idea of inconsistency and cough: gas prices: cough are both a little intimidating. So, we’re weighing our pros and cons of what sounds like the best next step forward and the list is growing on both sides as we speak. But, if there’s anything we’ve learned over the past 10 years and 20 moves, we know everything will always work out as it should no matter where we land. Time will tell and we’ll cross each bridge of transition as we get there.

Instead of worrying too too much about what’s ahead, we’ve really been trying to soak in the “now” as much as possible. We absolutely LOVE the beach life and everything it entails. It just fits us both REALLY well. Laid back, outside focused, warm and sunny, and overall peaceful as a whole. The beach is just a whole mood and we’re definitely on the same wavelength with it.

We also have been having an absolute blast exploring our current city and surrounding areas as much as we can. We even ventured all the way down the Gulf Coast to Key West (!!!) last week which deserves its own post in itself, so I’ll be sure to add that here this week! It was so much fun and filled with so many last-second decisions as we were literally flying by the seat of our pants the entire time. (Including Cooper’s pants too because he joined in on the travel adventure fun! ;))

So far, our favorite city/town nearby is hands down Grayton Beach. We try to make our way there as often as we can and it never disappoints.

It’s super similar to our previously beloved city of Hillcrest (in Little Rock, Arkansas) which is probably why we love it so much. It’s very artsy, laid back, dog-friendly, and RIGHT on the beach. So, it really doesn’t get much better than that. It also has some really great restaurants and coffee shops in a cute little “downtown” hub so you have everything you need in one place!

We’ve also been spending a ton of time in PCB at the local favorite “Gayle’s Trails”. You can ride, walk, or run for MILES on end while being surrounded by beautiful trees everywhere you look. It’s like you’re transported from the beach and planted right in the heart of the woods which is so fun considering it’s just a handful of miles from the sandy beach.

And…we keep looking but have had ZERO luck seeing alligators on any of our outdoor adventures. Surely we’ll see one at some point, right? I mean we’re IN FLORIDA! (aka alligator heaven!) It’s not like I necessarily WANT to be close to one by any means, but just to say we’ve seen one is the only feather I’m looking to add to my cap. HA! 😉

We’ve been riding a bunch lately too! Nick got our bikes freshened up with new tires/tubes/tape so we’ve been loving parking our car and hitting the trails nearby. 30A has the best trail that stretches across ALL of the towns so it’s been so much fun riding through and making a few pitstops to grab snacks and sit on the beach.

We even hit 20 miles just a few days ago in one trip which was exhausting but so much fun at all once!

(Yes, those are flip flops! HA! Not really recommended but we didn’t plan on going THAT far.)

In between beach days, we’ve been heading over to our pool! It’s a huge perk of apartment living and we love that it’s so easy to do and sand-free. 😉

P.S. I’m still working my way through “People We Meet on Vacation”. I’m not sure why it’s taking me so long but I’m ALMOST finished with it. It’s a great book but just not hooking me in as much as “Beach Read” did.

Other than adventuring around town whenever we can, you can almost always find me here: By my computer (snacks/smoothies nearby) working the day away with my furry (and sleepy) co-worker. I typically knock out work for the day first thing in the morning because that’s when I’m most productive and my mind is clear to be creative. So, with waking up in the 6:00 hour and knocking out a few solid hours of good work, I’m able to get pretty much everything I need to first thing in the morning which is always nice.

So, that’s what’s been going on in our world as of late. Lots of adventuring, lots of work, and lots of pupper snuggles.

I plan on picking back up here on my blog ( I feel like a broken record because I know I’ve said that before, but I mean it this time 100%. ;)). So, I’ll be sure to share a lot more of our upcoming adventures with you and of course what’s next on our “living” situation once we land on a decision there too. So, stay tuned!!

Always always, thank you for stopping by the blog today! I’m so glad you’re here!

Talk soon!

–XO Chelsea