Monday, September 7, 2009

OBX

Long, long ago, Richard and I kept seeing these bumper stickers that said "OBX". And we had no idea what it meant. At some point in our transition to becoming true "Easterners" we learned that OBX was short for "The Outer Banks", and that The Outer Banks are a strip of islands along the shore of North Carolina. And we learned, most importantly, that we really wanted to go there - as every true Easterner does.

This past weekend we finally went! My sister, Ruth, stayed with the kids. Richard and I left at about 3pm Friday. The 5 hour drive took us 8 hours because of heavy traffic... but who cares? We had no kid with us! We were headed for sandy beaches! We giggled about things like that we could both go into the bathroom at a rest-stop at the same time without taking turns staying with kids in the car. We stayed at a great motel right on the Ocean side of The Outer Banks. We took deep breaths of the Ocean air, listened to the waves, and slept soundly that night. But the next day we were up and at 'um. We had rented boogy boards and rode the waves. We sat in beach chairs under an umbrella and stared at the ocean. We ate whenever we wanted. We laughed with each other. We rented waverunners and came out with crazy, wind-blown, 80's hair. We ate crab legs by the pound. We were attacked by "sea lice" which sent us running back to our motel room for a frenzied shower. We learned what those yellow flags on the beach mean - dangerous currents - and that they're serious about that. We watched the sun set and rise from our motel balcony. We shopped. We bought a bumper sticker that says "OBX" just because we think it may be against the law not to own one - and to prove our coolness. We decided that all future family reunions ever should be at The Outer Banks because it is so close to perfect. And we drove home understanding why beach-bums are so laid back and chill - because we felt the same way.

We were only gone for like 55 hours, but it sure felt good! The kids had a blast with Aunt Ruthie, and Richard and I were reminded of how much fun we have together. *sigh* Can we go back tomorrow?

Pictures will come later. We forgot our camera so we had to buy a one-time-use one. It will take a few days to get them developed and digitized, then I'll come back and add photos.

5 comments:

chelsea said...

I'm so jealous I can hardly even post a comment to say I'm glad you had fun... But indeed I'm so glad you had fun and had a chance to reconnect, sometimes I feel like Roger and I are strangers in the night or something! Can't wait for photos!

angela michelle said...

sounds perfect! I'm so glad you went. Mark and did get an overnight getaway also, but we concluded--as we do every time--that what we really need is 2 nights and the day in between to fully relax.

Kelly Jo said...

and this my friends is why i keep saying a beach house for the next worth family reunion! It doesn't have to be OBX (although kev and I love it there) but a lovely beach that's warm enough to get into the water!!
Glad you had a fabulous time, hope you had some Carolina bbq too!

Paice Family said...

Wow am I ever jealous! That sounds awesome. I know what you mean about the OBX stickers. It's the East Coast trend. Chris and I got to do the Oregon Coast (where we went on our honeymoon) for one night this past April while his parents watched the kids. It was wonderful, but not long enough! :)

Elieson Family said...

I've been waiting to hear your report! yeah!!!