Sea Sounds and Boba Tea

So it is Spring Break 2022 and our family has decided that we are going to make the trek down to New Smyrna Beach, FL for a family vacation. It has been almost all winter since our family has had the chance to travel far from home, and the sea is calling our names.

If you stick around here long enough you will learn a few things about my family and I, and one of those things is that we LOVE the water. This can be anywhere from drinking it, to swimming in it, to just listening to it. There is something about it that just draws me back. It’s funny because I can’t quite put my finger on it. I mean I grew up in the midwest, I never even got to see the ocean until I was 17 years old. But once I had, I knew that I was supposed to be there. It calls my name, like a good Moana song, “I’ve been staring at the edge of the water 'Long as I can remember Never really knowing why I wish I could be the perfect daughter But I come back to the water No matter how hard I try”. All accept the daughter part that is. But you get the picture. Though I have been landlocked almost my whole life, it has never really felt like me. You see shortly after my wife and I adopted our two oldest boys we had the opportunity to move to the ocean, and we jumped on it. This is a story for another time, but this is the reason we go back to the same place every time. This is where family, friends, and memories lie. We have talked many times about adventuring to another part of the country and to another ocean, but it seems to never happen. This time was no different.

This vacation is special though. We have our new baby that is just over a year old, and she will get to experience the ocean for the first time. My four other kids are all now old enough to give input and advice on the things we should do. So now it is not only Krissie and I’s adventure, but it is EVERYONE’S. Something that I have been dreaming of for years. If there is something about adventuring one thing I have found is that an adventure ie not nearly as fun if you can’t share it with someone else. That is what made this trip that much sweeter.

So how did the kids give their input into this adventure, well most of them wanted to do the same things. They wanted to hang out with their friends, they wanted to spend time with family, go to the beach, shop for cool souvenirs, and just be tourists. But two of them threw us for a loop and changed it completely, and that is OK.

The first to change things up was Karl, our oldest. At this time he is 15 years old and at that stage where he really doesn’t want to spend time with mom and dad any longer. He is the most down person about going on the trip because he doesn’t get to be near his friends, has to spend large amounts of time in the car with his family, and has to go places that he MAY not want to go. But not this time. We found ourselves Sunday morning at the church that we attended while we lived there, and guess what is this week? It is their youth camp!! Karl is ecstatic! He can’t wait to spend all week with other teenagers and to make new friends, and NOT have to be with his mom and dad. Well what could we say? This is something that he is actually excited about, and God is in the equation. So we pony up the money for camp, and tell him yes. This thought can cause in almost all other plans because you have to take him and drop him off every morning and pick him up every evening. So we have this window of fun now. Not something that we normally look for when adventuring, time constraints. But for him, we said yes.

There is something I have to say about Karl here, and though sometimes he can be a teenager and mean, and not nice to his parents. Sometimes combative, and doesn’t smile much. BUT if you get him in a group of young people, he will be the one that that will walk away with ALL the friends. He is not scared to put himself out there, and he is VERY personable. He loves to laugh, joke, and have a good time. He is loyal to the core, and will be your friend even if you treat him wrong. Karl is a GREAT friend. Though we might argue sometimes, I am SO PROUD of Karl and the man he is becoming. And I thank God daily for allowing me to be his father.

But back to the story, Karl loves it. All week. Met so many new friends, had so many experiences, and just had one of the best vacations that he has ever had. We were so glad. Even though it limited us on the other things we could do.

This brings us to our next vacation changer. That kid is Jackson. He is our middle child, and he is into trying all the new things right now. He has this fascination with other cultures, especially the Japanese culture. So this WHOLE trip instead of the normal fast food, Italian food, pizza, ice cream, and American fare, Jackson had us at every Sushi parlor in town. We got to go get REAL ramen, sushi, and most importantly Boba tea.

So I must ask you, has there ever been something in your life that you have wanted SO bad that you could not even think of anything else? Like that one thing that just consumed you. You have heard how great it is. You have studied it, and you know that the experience is going to be SOOO amazing. But then you FINALLY get to do it/eat it/try it, and it is so not what you expected? Yeah, that was boba tea. Jackson had been talking about boba tea for months, but we didn’t really have any spots near us that we could try. Oh, but Florida did. And we tried it. One sip into this thing, and Jackson realized this was NOT for him. Well at least not the flavor that he chose. The rest of us went on the safe side and got the fruit drinks with fruit bubbles in them, and they were actually pretty good. But not Jackson’s. Not the tapioca. I felt bad for him.

But again there is one thing I can say about Jackson’s personality, and that is he IS adventurous. He has always been down to try new things. He has always enjoyed new places, and the next coolest thing. He is not scared to try it or go for it. And then if you get him around a group of people that he wants to show off for, and this kid thinks he is Superman. I love that about him. That he is ok with trying new things, and I believe he will find the best version of himself someone in the searching of new and adventurous things. I pray that he will be content with life when he becomes an adult and has to take on responsibility. But for now, I will enjoy watching him seize the day.

This adventure ended in some conflict with friends, but I will leave that for another post. But overall a great trip, and an opportunity to show love through sharing the adventure ideas with our little ones. Remember if you have small ones to not take these days for granted. They come and go so quickly.

So on to the next adventure!