Winter Getaway 2021

I flew to Myrtle Beach today where I will draw out the winter oceanside. My 7th Covid test gave me the all clear yesterday. I hate Covid. 

If you are a regular you know the beach is my happy place and I'm from Minnesota. Going south for the winter has been my dream for 53 years (ok...maybe 35). Every decision I have made the last 35 years has focused around my "retirement and traveling". I'm still working but my job hunt three years ago focused on finding something remote to make this possible.

Why Myrtle Beach? Great question. I spent over twenty (20) hours researching where I wanted to land. Due to Covid I thought staying within the United States would reduce my risk of it being cancelled (I called that right). My goals were: 1) I didn't want to see snow, 2) the lows to be above freezing, 3) the beach and shopping would be accessible by walking (I’ll be without a car), 4) the Covid risk wasn’t the highest in the country (ruled out Florida)  and 5) a "culture" where I would feel safe and fit in as a single woman. My plan is to never return to the same place twice, so I'm not looking for a perfect fit but the next few months I will be doing my best to become a local in Myrtle Beach. 

6am Flight from MSP

I'm staying at a condo I found through Airbnb, although I am renting directly through the owner to save money. Searching in an area with lots of condos is smart to leech off those that purchase but do not use full time. I’ve been doing it for 20 years when we started visiting Daytona Beach every spring break and when I secured this lease rates were super low due to Covid.

Packing for this trip was the biggest stress. I’m a minimalist as well as low-consumer so my goal is to not buy new. I’m going with a carry on and backpack and half of what I packed is for my office. 

I’m not sure how much I’ll post but I’m sure I’ll be back to share how this feels. I have not lived alone for 27 years. 27 years. Crazy, huh? I’m preparing my soul for the empty nesting transition this fall when Anna goes to college. I will miss her and Paradis but I’m confident we will all thrive.  

Happy New Years my friends! Get the vaccine when it becomes available so we can all travel normally again. Please. 

View from my backyard