I’ve always considered myself a Midwestern girl through and through. But here we are in South Carolina, and we’ve all fallen instantly in love. Maybe there’s something to the whole laid-back charm of Southern living??
It feels better than expected to have “arrived” at a place where we can fully unpack our bags and settle in. I’m also very happy to report that the bridges in the Carolinas are not nearly as scary as the ones in Maryland. Whew! Our townhome on Folly Beach (just a stone’s throw from Charleston) will be our home until mid-November. It’s just a quick walk from the beach and the busy, touristy heart of town—souvenir stores, the Crab Shack, an Irish pub, etc. We have a view of the river and our own crabbing dock, where Tony of course has already been fishing. And we can hear the bells from the Catholic church that is just two blocks away.
Life is super sweet: On this leg of our #2020LemonadeTour, we were blessed to reconnect with wonderful friends. A few years ago, in the Caribbean, we became best buds and spent most of the weeklong cruise with a fabulous couple from Virginia – mainly because while Tony and Michael were off with other real estate investors, Sydney and I were bonding over drinks in the hot tub. Their vacation spot in Nags Head is just down the beach from our Outer Banks home; coincidence brought us together for a night last week. (Probably a good thing we only had one evening together! #shutupliver)
After passing through Jacksonville and reconnecting with my BFF and the girls’ “Auntie” Jess (love you!) we made it to South Carolina. Our arrival on Folly marked the first time we’d seen Zac since Christmas, and the first time our family of five was all together under the same roof in I don’t know how long. Of course we missed his wife, Tammy, who is still awaiting Marine Corps orders to relocate to Parris Island. It will be a joyful day when I can get a family photo of all six Broullires, together at last!
The savory: I don’t have anything “sour” to report this week, except perhaps that we are all starting to feel the effects of our overly decadent diet. Thank you, Carolinas, for your fried chicken and okra, your shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes and hush puppies. We’ve never had so much seafood—all the scallops, fresh fish, shrimp, oysters and mussels. Add to that all the car snacks and fast food we’ve been consuming along the way, pizza, burgers and fries … just, ugh. Goodbye beach body; hello, stretchy pants!
Tony suggested that we press pause on eating out for the time being. It kills me to agree, since my previous visit to Charleston with my Anderson cousins (and our vacation papers) took us to the most amazing Southern restaurants, and my mouth has been watering in anticipation of our return. But we’re here for two more months and then home for the holidays. Gulp. I suppose it would be a good idea to get back in the kitchen and make some healthy meals. Anyone want a salad?
Folly = fabulous: The weather has been sunny and warm since we arrived, and the people here couldn’t be friendlier. Our big challenge today is narrowing down the scope of what we want to do this weekend. Even though temps are in the 80s and it’s crazy humid, we’re in the mood for fall activities. (Thanks to everyone for posting pics of fall colors!! We miss the leaves!) I’m guessing that Sunday afternoon will see us watching the Packer game while peeling apples for Grandma Kaste’s famous apple crisp … which Alayna has requested with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Sigh. Good thing I packed a lot of yoga pants…