salt.of.the.earth.

Edgartown, Massachusetts.
Martha's Vineyard.


I recall a recent conversation with a friend about what I would do if I won the lottery. I didn't have to think too hard, I have envisioned myself being handed the overly sized big check of $100 million dollars more than once to be honest, especially on the days when it is a stretch to purchase coffee...That moment aside, if I were to acquire a windfall, the very first thing I would do is buy plane tickets for my friends and take them all on an exotic, much needed trip.

Since I have not won, nor actually played the lottery in years the plane tickets are not exactly in my budget. But as it turns out, weren't necessary purchases, friends willingly flock to magical destinations when talked about enough ( and can talk a lot about these places). All it took was a little tweaking of ones schedule, some pre-planning ( months to be precise) and houses in Rhode Island and Martha's Vineyard to form the outline of what I considered the best trip of the year. And somehow, it worked!

Six states were represented on this trip; an ensemble cast of my all-weather friends, a band of gypsies caravan-ing our way around the northeast corner of the world. And in the most relaxed fashion, which I applaud us all for, no other group of 11 can travel like we do. Vineyard time was in full effect the second we stepped off the boat, felt the sand beneath our feet and christened the first nights stay with pizza on the beach; the air thick with the unmistakeable salty brine of New England. The salt of the earth.

I had a legitimate out of body experience for the first 48 hours of the trip. Could this really be happening?! I was surely dreaming that I had all of these wonderful people in one place, and they would be witnessing the places I have talked incessantly about. Pinch me now, but did Suzi really put and apron on and start throwing pizza dough in the air with my stepmother? Did Stephanie just feed the emus the Umbrella Factory? Did we really ALL just walk up the river with my Aunt Teash, sangria in one hand, camera in the other? The only thing I could do was shake my head and smile.


Throughout the week my friends came and went, my sister Erica made her ever hilarious appearance to the Vineyard, Heather arrived with Ansley in tow. I have known some of these friends for 17 years, some for less 3 and yet I felt as if this were a reunion for all of us, that we have all known each other for years, with the continuous laughter and plethora of pictures you would have trouble convincing an outsider of otherwise. There were moments of complete belly-laughing at the dinner table playing taboo, dancing in the kitchen to the wide variety of music provided by Justin's Ipod, smores, singing Disney songs ( yes Disney, we couldn't help it), a classic night out on the town, catching the brass ring on the Flying Horses ( good work Emily!), stargazing and heartfelt conversations, and if someone asked us if our friends jumped off a bridge would we? We can't answer any other way except...YES.














We do a good job of making other people jealous. Trips like this don't come around as often as I would like. In a perfect world we all would be venturing to the Vineyard on a regular basis. Life however has other plans for all of us. And its probably a good thing I'm not in charge, I would have never had the appreciation for all of this if we were able to go and come as we pleased; amazing how those childhood lessons come full circle years later.

I am going to be honest:
I am stuck in a classic case of me trying too hard to write. I want to depict how fun this trip was coupled with how wonderful my friends and family are. And I don't know if I can write it out. There would have to be a seperate book with illustrations and examples explaining each and every person who has made life this wonderful. My perfectionist side flares when I want to explain something intensely important to me. And thank you does not seem to cover it, but is really the only way to write it.

Thank you...

My family: I still stand in constant amazement at how lucky I am to have such a loveable, accepting, spontaneous bunch of people that understand me, probably because I have inhertied most of my characteristics from you. And that I have learned to love passionately, all things in this world is because I was shown unconditional love every single day of my life. Thank you for loving my friends and always providing constant contagious laughter. I really just want all of my friends to hangout with you, because I think you're a lot cooler than most people I've met, biased as that may be. I love you. Thank you.

My friends: The fact all of you took whatever means of transportation necessary to make the trip ( standby flights included) says more about your character than you may realize. You all travel well, babies included! You have, with your knowledge or not, changed my life to the point that I can't imagine arriving at this part of life without you all here; what a different person I would be. Never have I ever had so much fun with so many friends or have had more friends that felt like family Thank you for making the trip to see some of the most poignant places and most important people in my life. I love you. Thank you.

Pinch me please, actually...I take that back, because if this is a dream I never want to wake up. Corny as it may sound, I have the BEST friends and family. Everyone should have this much fun all the time. The infectious engery of this trip carried over long after I had touched back down to Charleston and back to the reality of work and 5am alarm clocks. There is a desire to explore every road that disappears past the horizon, whatever is waiting on the otherside, I cannot even imagine, but I am content with the fact I will have some company along the way.

BIG LOVE to: Aunt Sharon and Uncle Dave for letting us stay at your house in Charlotte and driving us to and from the airport, Dad and Carla for letting us desend upon the house, good music, and the introduction of the outside shower to my friends, Auntie Chi for her wisdom and Zen moments, Eric for his entertainment, Auntie BP, Uncle Charlie and Alecia for making dinner all the more fun, Aunt Teash, Tom, Aunt Sylv, Uncle George, Colleen, Cathy and Missy for the dinner on Railroad Avenue and the great stories, Mom and Papa for letting us stay at the house on the Vineyard, and Nan and Pop for coffee in the morning and an extra vehicle to drive around my favorite place on earth. <3.>

And of course the trip would have NEVER happened without Erica, Suzi, Francine, Alan, Stephanie, Lindsey, Justin, Kat, Emily, Heather and Ansley. I'm up for a repeat trip next year if you are...

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