Destin Family Vacation

This year is the first year we haven't taken a big family vacation (20+ family members), so it was finally our time to plan our little family vacation. We chose to go back to Destin since we loved it so much last time, and it was just as wonderful and maybe even better this time around! Since we were traveling with two kids this time, we decided to book a hotel in Mobile, AL to break up the travel time the first day. Traveling can be such a stressful part of vacations and we tried to make the best of that first day by not rushing anything and making sure to plan a few fun stops. We found a park in Mississippi and let the kids run around and play. Food is also a stressful thing for me when traveling because I don't want to start vacations off with tons of fast food and feeling awful. We packed a cooler full of healthier options so the 45 minutes we spent at the park wasn't a big deal since we never stopped for food. We stayed at a charming hotel in historic downtown Mobile, and enjoyed the cool Spring air wrapped in blankets on the balcony, talking and reading while the kids slept. We had breakfast in our pjs then headed out for the two hour drive to Destin.

We arrived a bit earlier than check-in so we went to Target for groceries, beach towels, and floaties. We finally checked in to our condo around 3 pm and after soaking in the excitement of it all we headed straight for the beach! 5:00 pm and off-season is a complete dream at the beach. We felt like we had our own private place. We knew Zoey would love the beach. She's fearless, smart, and typically developing in all aspects. Barrett, on the other hand, has hardly ever been fearless and is a "sensory kid". He's the smartest kid I've ever been around, but has never fully enjoyed the beach like other kids. The ocean was always too loud, he wouldn't touch his bare feet to the sand, and had more anxiety than he knew what to do with if he was too close to either of these things. There have been moments where I've thought he would never be able to just have fun and enjoy things that other kids can't wait to do. This trip to Destin with our little family was one I'll never forget because Barrett, for the first time, ran with bare feet through the sand straight into the ocean and loved it. He dug through the wet sand to find seashells and spent more time in the water than any of us. I cried happy tears. What a wonderful week we had just spending quality time together and not worrying about the everyday schedules. Vacations are an absolute must for mental health and well being. Wether it's traveling across the world or a simple staycation, we all NEED breaks.

"Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show."