This is the final installment in my series from our trip back east this year! You can start with Life Lessons from Pennsylvania and Life Lessons from The Shenandoah Valley if you missed those. Our final state that we visited was North Carolina, to see my aunt, uncle, and grandma on my mom’s side of the family. 

It was a short, but wonderful visit! We took some really back roads from Virginia to North Carolina, so the drive was very pretty. Once we got to their house, we brought our things in and then chatted for a while (and played with Clementine, of course). They had reservations at a fancy seafood place on the beach, so I was looking forward to that. 

I was never one to really like seafood (Matt, on the other hand, loves it), but I was trying to show my grandma that even if you’re picky, you can try something new (it didn’t work, and hilarity ensued, but I suppose that’s what happens when you’re older, people let you get by with things more than when you’re a kid). 

We got to the beach a little bit early, and Matt, my aunt, uncle, and I walked along the shore for a bit, while Grandma stayed on solid ground. I was walking through the waves and enjoying them, when I wasn’t paying attention and got far wetter than I had intended. There was sand and salt water in places that I had not wanted there to be sand and salt water (but that always happens when you turn your back to the ocean). 

I was watching how the waves would come crashing over my feet, and it was so cool…until the water started receding back into the ocean and I lost my balance. Luckily Matt saw me swaying and grabbed me before I completely got doused in sand and salt water. 

“Don’t look down when that happens, look straight ahead and you’ll be fine,” Matt told me. I’d already somewhat figured that out, but it got me thinking. Once I did it a couple more times (for science, of course), I tried a few more times staring out at the horizon…and I didn’t lose my balance. 

Although it’s probably very cheesy and you’ve likely already heard a version of this, it made me realize that I could apply that situation to my life, as well. When we focus on the little things, we can get so swept up in them that we lose our balance and don’t know what to do. But when we focus straight ahead on God, we don’t lose our balance, and the small things of life don’t matter that much. They might make you shift slightly as the sand settles beneath your feet, but you don’t fall down and get overwhelmed when you’re not solely focusing on the little things. 

We finished the night at the seafood place, where I tried a salmon sandwich and it was really, really good. I devoured the whole thing and everyone was so proud of me for trying something new and liking it. Grandma got her ham and cheese sandwich she requested (even though she claimed that very night she doesn’t eat meat or pork), and we all enjoyed the food, the beach, and the family time we got chatting about life, Tom Cruise, and how my aunt loves crab legs, but loves us enough that she offered to share!

We stayed the night, then my aunt cooked us a big breakfast as a send off while we drove to catch a flight back home. Clementine demanded we not leave, and my aunt and uncle said they’d miss us and to come back soon, and my grandma said she wanted to see me again soon. I really enjoyed visiting them. 

Overall, our trip back east was so great. I loved getting to see everyone that I’d missed for a while, and really enjoyed the food and fellowship. It was great spending time with everyone, and I do wish I had more time, but I am proud of how we were able to see so many in such a short period of time. And it was a great reminder, that no matter where you are, there is always a life lesson to be learned, just waiting for you to pick up on it.

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