Our Anniversary Getaway

Charles and I have never been much for celebrating our anniversary. Even when we dated, we didn’t really keep track of when we started (okay, we disagreed on the month) but, nevertheless, it wasn’t really something we commemorated. So this year, instead of a belated card, or a oh- it’s our anniversary, let’s go out for dinner- I thought, let’s get away for a few days, do something romantic…go surfing in Florida. We had camped in Hannah Park in Jacksonville Beach several times with friends when we were dating, and it was the first place I ever surfed, so we began to make plans.
As the time came closer, Charles got excited because it looked like there was going to be a Hurricane “way out in the ocean” that was going to send us good waves. Well, there was a hurricane, but it comes later in this story.
We decided to leave right after work, so that our trip would seem longer, but of course, we weren’t ready right after work, so we ended up hitting the road about 5 or 6 PM on a 5-6 hour drive which was supposed to end either at a hotel, or setting up a tent at a camp-site. Well, we’re broke, and stubborn, so we ended up at 2 or 3 AM tired, pulling into a truck stop and deciding the sleep in the back of our CRV. So, we hemmed and hawed for another while about it, started to drive away, parked again, started to drive away again, and then just decided to stay. So, by the time we set up- our surfboards had to go up on the rack, luggage had to go in the front seat, our air mattress inflated, we were no longer nice people.

The ocean was a churning mess, the beach so windy the sand hurt your face, and keeping your eyes open was nearly impossible. So we sat with our surfboards in our tent, and wept.

