If I was asked for a time I was truly happy it would be when my family decided to get together and spend a week at the beach. The smell of salt water mixed with the scent of the barbeque in the back filling the whole house with smiles. Hugging family member and feeling the warm embrace wrap your whole body was touching. The only downside to the trip was the drive down, having the car packed full of people and supplies needed added a sort of stress to everybody. But as soon as my foot hit warm beach my mood instantly changed and my once stressed frown turned into pure happiness. 

Family is very important to me because I have very few chances to see them with the them all over the country and none in Massachusetts. Being the first to arrive at the house was exciting knowing I got to explore it and find all the secrets about it. Opening the door and being hit with a strong wind full of dust and unique smells made me and my sister cringe. Knowing we should have helped with moving everything out of the car and into the house we decided that the beach could wait, which only grew the suspense of what it looked like even more. After unloading everything my sister Amy and I sprinted to the beach like a gold medalist running at the Olympics. The stairs down felt like an eternity and the way up felt like climbing a mountain but was well worth it knowing I was in my happy place. At this time the sun was setting behind the white fluffy clouds which looked like cotton balls floating in the sky, the sand was cold in between my toes and there was a slight breeze that each time it touched your skin a new goose bump grew. This was the perfect end to the night and the ideas racing through my head for the next days of vacation were never ending.

As the family starting arriving car by car the house was growing increasingly louder and livelier. Each person that stepped through the door brought a new vibe and excitement to the room. When morning came the first task at hand was to go to beach and spend the first day there, our only goal was to have no one get burnt like the lobster we were having that night. Well, no one fulfilled that goal, the adventures we were taking side tracked us from applying sunscreen and instead the sun kissed our skin with each hour passing. From canoeing to rock climbing the family was all over the place, there was not a worry in the world and the smiles were so big that our cheeks started to hurt. The plunge into the ocean was at first numbing but a brought a relaxing sensation. After leaving the water and laying on the sand and feeling the warm sun beat down made you forget what you were doing for a minute. With each memory passing a new memory was forming that would last forever and makes me smile.

The only reason the whole family was brought together this one summer was because my great Uncle John passed away and after his funeral service in Hingham Massachusetts we wanted to be together again and remember his memory. The day after the beach we decided to split up and venture out on our own, some stayed behind at the house but my mother, grandmother, family friend (Amber) and I decided to make it a girls day and shop until we drop. The first store we went to was a makeup store that I have never been into, Ulta; first step into the store is overwhelming. From store name makeup to expensive perfume, each step taken brings you deeper into beauty heaven. After leaving shopping with our legs feeling like jelly and arms filled with shopping bags we returned to our relaxing place, the beach. It was our home away from home that made you forgets about the pain you were feeling or any moment and just let you breathe and watch the creations that were made. Sitting on the beach watching my mom and grandmother walk along the water was a precious moment and made me happy knowing that they don’t get to do this often since my grandmother lives in California. The walking seized because the sound of our stomach rumbling became much louder than the waves crashing against the shore. Making our way up the flight of stairs began to become a daily workout and our legs at the end would look like professional soccer players legs, the smell of the barbeque instantly hit you as your foot hit the last step. Stomachs rumbling and mouth’s watering we devoured, hot dogs, grilled chicken steak and bowls of fresh vegetables. After dinner our stomachs were full that we couldn’t even move. We decided that there was no need to move and decided to tell stories around the dinner table, from embarrassing family stories ( which my mom loved to tell ) to heartfelt ones about a neighbor helping my Uncle out. The evening slowly turned into night and we were swarmed by mosquitoes giving us the sign that it was time to move our party inside.

With our bellies full of food and head full of stories we decided it was time to rest our eyes and dream about all our adventures that will happen tomorrow. Supposedly the house we were staying in was haunted so there was a paranormal investigator that came in earlier that day and as I was lying in bed I started wondering what these “ghosts” were doing right now, were they next to me and my sisters bed, was one of the “ghosts” my great uncle? Slowly these thoughts dissipated from my head and sleep began to come over me. Each day waking up at the house was like a scene from a movie where the birds are chirping and the family is downstairs making breakfast. This one morning waking up the family decided to talk more about my great Uncle John’s passing and the impact he left on all of us, I knew him when I was very little and remember the memory of his wife and him coming to Massachusetts to visit the family plot in the Hingham cemetery. Walking around and him explaining the stories he had with the people that passed, he was my grandmother’s brother and she was devastated. He had his own family and kids and this summer house was going to be a week to have fun but also be there for each other in a time of need. John was a very kind soul and the memories I remember of him he had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and cracking jokes left and right, anytime spent with him there was always laughter in the background and smiles on your face. After the tears, laughter and smiles left our bodies we decided to go our separate ways again. Some of the family decided that the last day spent on the beach would be the best option, I was all for that! This day was just going to be a relaxing last day with the family, there was swimming and for me mostly tanning and trying to get that last vitamin D soaked up before going back home.

The weeklong adventure came to an end sadly and the family had to depart their separate ways. Massachusetts bound for the Scott family and Florida bound for the Brewer. “See you next summer” was the last words said before we piled in the car and headed home. To this day I can’t imagine a happier time for my family and I. If I could choose a time to go back into and relive it would be the weeklong vacation with my family.