SUMMER IN THE SOUTHERN STATE

To most people, South Carolina isn’t exactly their first choice in holiday destination, but for us it really is paradise. 12 days underneath the southern sun was exactly what I needed. We do have a slight unfair advantage though, as it’s where my family is. My Grandad and his wife Barb live there, right in Myrtle Beach. Spending each day on the beach, or by the pool or exploring the local area was the perfect distraction from the real world. I got to see family who I hadn’t seen in years and spend quality time with my uncle and grandad, who I don’t get to see enough.

This trip was so important, because it was the first time, we all got to be together since my mums wedding in 2015. And I got to meet my cousins and my Grandads new wife, who until this trip I’d only ever spoken too over facetime. This trip was all about family bonding and finally all being able to sit in the same room together. Now as you can imagine, 7 adults and 5 children sharing a beach house was chaotic at times, but it was chaos that we made the most of. Just being with family was what we wanted.

For those of you who have never been to Myrtle Beach, it is a real American seaside town. Every few miles there is huge souvenir shops and restaurants everywhere you look. However, having Family there meant getting a local’s perspective, we got to see the parts of it that regular tourists wouldn’t even know visit. Not only that, but we got to be a part of activities that my Grandad and Barb do weekly, that we could never do here.

Having a resident as a tour guide, means seeing very quirky parts of the area. For example, eating at restaurants that aren’t popular with the tourists but serve amazing food, or knowing which piers play the best music in the evenings. We experienced everything we wanted too, and more.

One part of these trips that always sticks with me, is attending church. My Grandad and his friends attend church every week, and it means a lot to him that we go when we visit. Now I don’t attend church when I’m in England, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but an American church is like nothing I’ve ever seen. They’re a real community who looks out for each other and their main connection is their faith in god.

One day in particular that was special to my Mum, was my Grandads reunion party. All of my mum’s family were in one place at the same time, which she has never got to experience before. All of her Aunts, cousins, Nephews and children around the same table. She got to bond with family she hasn’t seen in over 15 years and introduce us to people who meant the world to her. It was a day to remember.

A favourite day of mine was visiting Charleston. The history and beauty never fail to surprise me. We spent hours just walking the Charleston markets, talking to venders and buying unique souvenirs that you would never find anywhere else. Watching the horse and carriage tours take tourists around the city, wandering past rainbow row and visiting the battery waterfront makes you feel like you’re in a completely different world. It’s absolutely unforgettable.

The hardest part about family holidays, is having them end. Slowly people started to leave us. First of all, we said goodbye to Barbra’s children and their families. We’d only just met them, it seemed too soon to be saying goodbye again. Then my Uncle Carl left, which was a tearful day for us all. My cousins who I’d met for the first time were leaving again, 10 days just wasn’t enough bonding time. Then I left, leaving my Grandad behind. The only light at the end of the tunnel is knowing that Christmas 2020, my Grandad and Barb will here, in the UK, spending Christmas with us. So goodbye wasn’t real goodbye, it was a see you later.