Staycation

I don’t know who coined that word but it’s become our go-to definition of travel.

Recently, we steeled ourselves for two whole days away from home. We made it through the first. And a lovely day it was. We just couldn’t handle that whole second-day-away thing. So back we came. Home sweet home.

This last weekend was the Bluffton May Fest, conceived and organized many years ago by a friend and neighbor. It’s become wildly successful, bringing in unique vendors, great food, lively music and many, many people.

Parking is, of course, a problem. Since we’re near the center of action, we can support a few visitors, via water or land. But there’s a string attached to that.

We insist that those visitors spend some time with us, on the porch, sharing a little sweet tea or a glass of wine.

We started the porch-sit with friends fairly early on Saturday morning, discussing the wonders of being a curmudgeon. According to the in-depth research done that morning, women can be curmudgeons, too. We just have to be willing to go against the grain, focus on the greater good and have a sense of humor. That sounds good to me.

Next through our doors came a group of hard-core New Yorkers. Two live here now; the other two are still deeply imbedded in city life. They all agree that “Hamilton” is one of the very best things they’ve ever seen and recommended a new play that sounds wonderful in every way. It’s currently off-Broadway and called “Dear Evan Hanson.” The problem is we’d have to go to New York to see it. We may just have to suck it up and go….but only for one day.

Shortly after that a bevy of lovely teen-age girls (one a granddaughter) dropped in and talked (all at once) about their friendship, its value, their shared love of ballet.

Later in the afternoon, a young couple came over by boat and reaffirmed how unique they feel the Island is as a place to raise a family.

We are so incredibly lucky. We didn’t have to step out of the house to have so many engaging and thoughtful conversations. And we would go away because?

It was a wonderful, happy day for “Life on the May.”