Saying another goodbye

My family and I have always been more of mountain people in the argument over mountain v. beach. But growing up in Florida it does kind of make sense to have a beach house for weekends and summers. Especially because when one has young kids, the beach really is fun.

So a few years after we moved to Ocala, Florida from Argentina, my parents bought a beach house in St. Augustine. It was an hour and a half drive from the farm in Ocala, so we spent a lot of time there growing up. Much as I may be a mountain person now in my adult life, I will say that the summers spent in St. Augustine were pretty amazing.

When I went off to college I didn’t go far at all, just 40 miles north to Gainesville. So I was still only an hour and a half from the beach house.

But, as in life, all good things must come to an end. After college I (moved to London for six months and then) moved to Atlanta, followed by my brother when he finished college. Atlanta to St. Augustine is a boring six hour drive, so my brother and I barely visited the beach house.

My parents started spending more time in Atlanta until they finally bought their much desired mountain house in Big Canoe, an easy hour and a half from Atlanta. So the beach house in St. Augustine became more of a burden than a joy. A sad end to a once much loved home.

August of 2015 my parents sold the beach house we had had for 25 years.

I wanted to say goodbye to the house one last time, so Marc, Pooka and I went down for a long weekend before the house was turned over to the new owners. It was bittersweet. We had a truly wonderful time and I was sad to say goodbye.

But I take solace in that the house was purchased by a young couple from Ocala with two small children. It’s comforting to know they are enjoying the home as much as we did as a young family.

This post is basically just an excuse to share a ton of adorable pictures of Pooka enjoying the beach 🙂