Jersey Girls

October 28, 2014

If we’re connected on Facebook or if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I just returned from a week in New Jersey with my sistuh-from-anuthuh-muthuh, Liz. You know that we had a blast whether we were just hanging out at the house with the entire family or gallivanting, just the two of us, down the Jersey Shore, from Seaside Heights all the way south to Cape May.

What you don’t know is that I did not open my laptop for six days.

Six. Days.

Other than while on the cruise our family enjoyed last summer when I didn’t have the choice (because I left it home), I have never kept my laptop closed for six days. Ever.

Liz and I had decided to take off of work for the duration of my visit but I brought it with me anyway, figuring that I’d check emails at night and it would be handy in case I wanted to blog. I didn’t. I still had my phone for Instagramming and checking those emails now and then, but I kept my online time extremely short compared to, well, any average day. It was glorious and so lovely.

I needed that break. Liz did, too!

As you might suspect, less time with a laptop means more time exploring the Shore and other favorite spots in New Jersey.

We made so many incredible memories out of the tiniest of moments and laughed so much that I’ll be smiling for a long time. Here are just a few of my favorite Jersey things:

Checking out Seaside Heights is always a must. I love that place so much. We took a nice long walk on the beach, and since it’s off-season we had almost the whole place to ourselves.

Beach at Seaside Heights New Jersey

We also went under the boardwalk to see what we could find (or not find) under there and watching the water come in from that angle was pretty awesome. We didn’t notice the “No Trespassing” signs until later. Oops.

Under the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights, New Jersey

We tend to look down a lot while on our beach walks so we can pick up interesting things, and of course I’m always on the hunt for sea glass, which is my favorite. Autumn must be a good time for sea glass at Seaside, because last year I picked up a bunch and this year I found a few good pieces, including a gorgeous blue/purple piece, which is much more rare than the brown, green, or clear ones.

New Jersey sea glass

We take lots of walks together when I visit, but not always on the beach. Liz has lots of beautiful parks and trails within minutes of her house. One evening we took a quick walk at one of her favorites before going home for the day. SO PRETTY.

Holmdel Park New Jersey

On Saturday morning we headed out early to spend the weekend in Cape May, all the way at the southernmost point of New Jersey. It was absolutely gorgeous. All of it.

Beachfront homes in Cape May New Jersey

We found a great place to watch the sun go down with a couple hundred other people at Sunset Beach, and sat there for about forty minutes just admiring the colors.

Liz and Melisa at Sunset Beach

Everyone clapped when the sun did its thing, and as we got up to go to the car Liz said, “Good job, sun!” Indeed.

Sunset Beach New Jersey

It was an absolutely perfect week of unplugging and spending time with some of my favorite people in the entire universe in one of my favorite places in the entire universe. I’m home now, feeling recharged, happy, and as always, grateful for the ability to just take off and make long-lasting memories with loved ones.

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