A Vow & A List

I have noticed as I start to meet people, that everyone has a list of favorite activities, destinations, restaurants, etc.  However, most people that I talk to haven’t actually enjoyed their favorite things for a very long time.  I think this is so sad but I must admit that I have been guilty of the same thing.  It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind!  In the past I have definitely let work and other responsibilities get in the way of doing my favorite things.  For example, I loved camping and canoeing when I lived in the Midwest.  However, I became so distracted with work that I barely made time to enjoy either of these activities.  I do not want to make that same mistake in Florida!
So, I have made a list of all the things I want to do and all the places I want to see.  I am vowing not to become complacent and forget what a gift it is to live in my dream destination.  Before moving, I had to work all year just to escape for a week of vacation.  Now, I can enjoy my “vacation” every day!  I don’t want to start taking that for granted.
With that in mind, I headed out to visit one of the places on my list.  I did not have a plan, rather I just woke up, got dressed (making sure to wear my swimsuit under my clothes since I never want to miss a chance to hit the beach) and drove to Pass-a-Grille.  An area, I keep hearing about but have not visited.  It was exciting and invigorating to just go exploring.  This is not something I would normally do.  Usually, I have a plan and a schedule.  In the past, I would have known exactly where I was going, what shops I would visit, when and where I would eat lunch, and pretty much every other detail of the day.  Today, I was just going to get lost in the day. 

As I entered Pass-A-Grille, I was excited to see the small bungalows on the quiet streets.  This area was almost frozen in time - it was so quaint and peaceful.  Much different from other nearby towns like Clearwater Beach.  I parked the car and walked up and down the streets.  I stopped in a few shops and art galleries where I lost track of time visiting with the owners and employees.  I quickly learned that August and September are the slowest times of year for tourism so I am especially grateful that I chose this time to visit! 

I couldn’t believe it when I saw the time and realized that I had been wandering around this small town for almost 4 hours.  I was surprised how easily I was able to enjoy myself and not stress about “wasting” time.  It is funny to think that I would consider such a fun day as a “waste” but a few months ago I would have been frustrated and annoyed with myself for losing 4 valuable hours of the day!  No wonder I was always so stressed out – I couldn’t even let myself enjoy a morning of exploring!     
By this time, it was pretty warm so I headed down to the beach and walked in the shallow waters.  There were only a few people sunbathing and swimming so I was able to stroll up and down the coast, listening to the waves, and enjoying the quiet.  I collected seashells for a little while and then headed back to my car.

Next stop . . . . where ever I end up!