“The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:7-8
I packed the best that I could for the trip using accuweather.com and the forecasts for our destinations. I live in Ohio and we have a joke that if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. I wasn't sure if Georgia would be like this or not.
The tour was sold out so it was a packed bus and my pickup point was the last stop. We pick our seats in advance. I like to sit near the front and I was paired with a really nice lady named Janice. We had plenty of time to get to know each other with the hours of travel ahead of us. We hit it off and hung out together for the duration of the trip from early morning breakfasts to stopping in shops to find souvenirs. At dinner one night, someone asked if we were mother and daughter. It just so happens that Janice reminds me of my late mother with her friendly and fun personality.
Our bus driver Craig and our tour director Barb were absolutely fantastic. I don't like driving and I do a lot of planning for my paid job so being able to buy a trip where someone does the driving and takes care of the details is perfect for me. Craig deserves a gold star for navigating Atlanta and Charlotte traffic which were both brutal. Oh, Craig & Barb also surprised us with stops at not just one but two Buc-ees!
We had a good mix of people on our trip. A majority were retirees enjoying their life after work. There were several people who had health challenges requiring use of canes or other mobility devices. Janice and I were usually among the first to board the bus. Having the aisle seat, I helped people either holding a bag or cane as they used the handrails the climb the steps to board the bus. Our bus driver did his best to drop off or park to minimize extra walking for those with walking challenges.
The weather was great for the majority of the trip with sun and warm temperatures. Two days were chilly, windy, and cloudy and coincided with stops on St. Simon Island and Jekyll Island. We had indoor activities, for the most part, on St. Simon. On Jekyll Island, it started to mist when it was time for our boat ride to see the dolphins. The weather was better at home that day but I got to see dolphins where I was! Our evening in Jekyll Island was supposed to culminate with dinner and shopping at a beach village similar to Easton Towne Center in Columbus. By that time, it was pouring rain and even the hardcore shoppers didn't want to shop. Everyone was cold, tired, and ready to go back to the hotel. I opted to buy food from the little market at the hotel while others gathered at the hotel bar over drinks and a menu for a local pizza place.
Eight days went by quickly and I was back home. My husband picked me up and filled me in on the routine he and Patty established while I was away. After her illness, our cat is now on Royal Canin Urinary S/O calming food, both wet and dry. Jon had to go back to his scout event. After a long day on the bus, I was ready for bed where Patty joined me for the night.
I had no idea how much I needed this vacation until I was on it. I was super stressed out at work before my trip and I finally relaxed. I decided to make a few changes to my home routine to give myself more time before work or other activities in the morning but getting up 10 minutes earlier. My first day back at work, I stayed relaxed and calm even during an outage near the end of my shift. For the most part, my workers stepped up and were accountable.
Anderson is starting to release trips for 2027 and my plan is to find one and take it! If it works out, Janice and I have talked about traveling together. I am so blessed to have seen God's beauty He created in the United States and to have pictures to remember it by.
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