I did do a couple of other things while there. On two separate Saturdays, I took a few hours to drive to the coast. I always love to see this amazing water! I also went to a Wildlife Refuge, where I was mesmerized with pink birds.
Obsessed with the mangroves…
I drove to Melbourne to eat at my fave restaurant called “The Mansion” …great beer selection, yummy burgers & an awesome outdoor deck. And, love these totems outside of the restaurant!
I took a hike on the Florida Trail…the state’s long distance trail.
I took walks through their lovely neighborhood almost every night, logging 4-6 miles each walk, while the girls were getting ready for or already in bed. There are several lakes & a huge diversity of homes. I’m not used to pleasant January/February temps & enjoyable walks after dark in a t-shirt. I have to admit, I really liked the lighted sidewalks, close proximity to downtown with beautiful fountains & urban art. The trees, shrubs, plants & flowers were so nice to walk by.
And, about a mile or so from their house towards downtown, is a new brewery I tried…it was good!
A little more than a mile in the other direction is a super nice brewery Danny & I discovered a couple of years ago & across the street from it, I found wonderful margaritas (& I’m picky about my margs)!
After 7 wonderful weeks, it was time to go. A new Nanny had been hired, the long time Nanny had gotten both vaccines, plus 10 days & life was ready to go Gki-less. And, so the dripping & eye leakage began. Saying goodnight to the girls the night before I left was so hard. Saying good bye to Claire Friday morning before she left for school was so hard. Giving Emma one more big giant hug was so hard. Sara gave me a big hug & suggested to Emma (we’ve been rhyming a whole lot together) they call me “Leaky Gki”. I can’t deny it…I have a big heart for these two wonderful girls & I feel like I miss so much by living so far away. But, as always, I needed to focus on all the time I got to spend with them & how much more we got to know each other. Especially Emma…we had missed out on 8 months of her 3 years because of the lockdown last year. They are joys to my spirit & fill my heart!
I drove away looking through tear filled eyes but grateful for the time I spent with Emma & Claire & Sara.
