final countdown

now that the royal wedding is behind us, it means that my sister is getting married in a week.  one week!  7 days, roughly 168 hours.  by this time next week she will be moments away from walking down the aisle.

i don't think anyone can totally place exactly how it feels that last week before the big day -- for me, the anxiety didn't even hit me until then.  people kept remarking about how calm i was as a soon-to-be bride.  maybe that's how i appeared on the outside, but on the inside i felt.. charged.. hovering somewhere between nervousness and excitement.  and the day of: joy.  enchantment.  rapture.  revelry.  levity.

like floating.

packed up

we're on the road again, homeward bound.  the car is packed full and ready for a 7-hour trip.  we've already talked about work, our thoughts unwinding on the road before us, our responsibilities driving us forward.

if only we could hold off alittle longer, allow the past week's moments to linger.

waving

it's our last day, and i don't think i'm ready to bid adieu just yet.

there's a storm headed our way (the wind gusts are a telling sign) so we're making the most of the bit of sun and warm weather before it hits -- kind of like a last farewell.

is it ever easy to say goodbye?

sunsational

to sum up my day:

257 stairs to the top of a lighthouse; 45 mph winds; cat tracks on the hood of the car; doggie lunch; chased by waves at the beach (literally); finally beat world 2; sunset from our favorite dock; baby turtle; local ice cream for dinner.

funny how much can be squeezed into a day when the watch is off, cell phone is out of range, and the datebook is nowhere to be found.

sparks

tonight we witnessed a spectacular lightning storm from our deck.  i'm not sure if i would have stepped outside without my bff -- it was both fascinating and frightening at the same time.  the sky was pitch black except for the bright flashes of light over the water.

i think i'm beginning to understand what nicholas sparks is always writing about in NC -- seeing and depicting nature in its purest, most powerful form.

breezy

the weather was in the 80s today so we took our bikes to what we're now calling our dock to watch the kiteboarders and windsurfers.  most of the people out on the water appeared to be experts; they were jumping and doing tricks and letting the wind take them.

that's probably the best way to describe what it's like to be here -- free as the breeze.

engulfed

happy easter!  our power went out this morning, so we took a long walk on the beach.  the beach here is different from any other beach i've been to before.  the sand dunes stand so tall that the ocean is hidden until we've made it over them.  whenever the wind blows, depending on the direction we walk, the sand will spray our legs and arms.  large tire tracks make several nude stripes across the sand, the patterns in the tread that can be felt under our toes.

the sound of the ocean waves is surprisingly soothing, rhythmic, almost melodic as they break along the shore.  the wind whistles around our heads and through our ears.  birds hug the coastline, running in and out as the tide chases them, their feet moving fast and sure.

i am not a beach person, but it's hard not to get lost here, to let the wind and waves and sun and sand envelop me whole.