By The Sea

I have been going at the speed of light this week. Normally I can keep up a fast pace, but this has been very trying. Work, getting my son ready to move to college, preparing to go on vacation, cleaning house, family, pets, laundry, etc. And I haven't had time to cook. I needed a break. The opportunity presented itself this past Wednesday. I had to attend a work related seminar in Charleston, SC. I was going to leave Tuesday night and spend the night in Charleston. But after a full day at work and teaching my Zumba class, once I arrived at home I didn't want to leave. So I got up at 4:00am, and left the house at 5:00am. I stopped for gas and a cup of coffee and headed to Charleston. Being in the car you can't answer e-mail or clean a toilet. So I turned on some relaxing music. I tried not to think about stressful things. I sang some songs since I was alone and wouldn't torture anyone with my off key voice. I prayed thanking God for the sunrise. And I really looked at my surroundings this time. Traveling on US highways can be downright boring. The same things exit after exit. Gas stations, the fast food giants, Wal-Mart and Lowe's. But this time I concentrated on the trees and wildflowers that are still growing. I took in the color changes of the sky during dawn. It was a nice drive. I took my class at the Charleston Marriot which ended at lunch time. I wanted to have lunch in Charleston so I asked the bellhop at the hotel to recommend a place where the locals go and that is not too expensive. He recommended a restaurant called Fleet Landing. It is on the waterfront. The picture here is from the outside patio of the restaurant.

Their menu had some unique selections, but I wanted to order something my chef makes to compare. I ordered the She Crab Soup to start and then Shrimp & Grits. The soup was good. They topped it with a drizzle of sherry. That is the squiggly line you see on top of the soup. OK, I am prejudice. I like my chef's soup better. But it was good.

Now, the shrimp and grits I was not crazy about because of the brown sauce. I am used to the traditional dish that is made with a creamy sauce. It wasn't bad, just not to my personal liking.

But I was happy anyway. I had the view of the sea. Before I headed home, I drove around for a little bit. I drove by the U.S. Customs building. Almost everything I have been working on at my job this past year has been related to customs, so I had to take a picture from the car. The building reminded me of how majestic this country is. In spite of all the negative things that we might see in America, it is still the land of the free. As a woman I can drive a car. I can go to a restaurant by myself. I can wear shorts (I changed from my work clothes in the hotel restroom). And I can write about it all without fear.

The sea has always been my favorite place on earth. There are days that I need to stop, take a deep breath and savor life. I can't always get to the coast to put me in that frame of mind, but I am glad that I went.