I returned from a successful week at the Travel Writer’s Conference where I made invaluable contacts for future assignments, and directly headed out on a much-needed vacation. The family rented one of those mega-mansions at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Nags Head to be exact. Ten days of sun and relaxation. With 11 family and family friend members? It could have gone either way, but it was a surprisingly pleasant experience. The size of the house helped. Six bedroom suites. And so did the mix of people. Family AND friends to temper everyone into their best behavior. I created a white board similar to the ones we used in college to check in and out of the dorm. This kept track of everyone’s whereabouts, and you didn’t have to tell anyone where you were going, leaving yourself open for “take me” pleadings.
What surprised me is how LITTLE people went to the beach. Come on, people. We’re at The Beach. Sand. Surf. Warm sun. What did they do? Hang out by the pool at the house. Watch TV. Go shopping. Not me, as the single explorer I am, I took off on adventure. Now I’m not one to sit still very long, so I took my new toy…my metal detector…and headed for the beach. The first weekend wasn’t too bad as there weren’t many people on the beach. And the sand revealed coin after coin. No diamond rings though…the ultimate treasure. The second weekend I popped up over the dunes with detector in tow to discover scads of mostly-naked bodies covering my prime hunting ground. Embarrased, I slunk back to the car, hoping desperately that nobody noticed my nerdy self with my hat, shovel, pink goodie bag and the oh-so-obvious metal detector. So NOT cool. I hid the detector in the car and quickly left, vowing to return that evening for the spoils. I grabbed my nephew as cover and we did return to find more coins, beer bottle caps, and even a very fine corkscrew.
Being a history buff and a veteran travel writer, I landed some media passes to the historical sights along the Outer Banks, including the Elizabethan Gardens, Fort Raleigh, and the Wright Brother’s Memorial National Park. Nothing excites me more than standing on the ground where history was made. The new(ish) visitor’s center at the Wright Brother’s Memorial was an excellent addition to the park, built to celebrate the 100th anniversary in 2003.
If only I had my metal detector with me…
One of the joys of being single is the ability to slide into family gatherings without much commitment. The couples do the cooking, the cleaning, the planning. The poor single girl just has to show up and be pampered. A good gig, if I do say so. I ate great meals, enjoyed a luxurious suite with a huge porch and a view of the ocean, and in return performed my magic act and held regular happy hours for the group. I guess it was up to me to liven things up and entertain the crowd. I could come and go without having to check in with anyone. I could sleep with the windows open and listen to the waves hitting the shore. I saw fabulous historical sights. Not paying for a vacation, but enjoying my visit as an invited guest. What’s one extra person?
Please share your stories of your vacation as a single person with me. How do you fit in with family vacations? What do you do?
Posted by osolome1 
