Hammerhead over heels

beach

Just a few days ago, this is where I was:

The Gulf coast of Florida is something amazing. White sands and clear water and slushy drinks and hammerhead sharks that ALMOST EAT YOU.

No joke, Miranda and I were up to our waists in the water when people on the shore started yelling and motioning us to GET OUT OF THE WATER. When was the last time someone used full arm-waving to get your attention? Let me tell you, it works. If I see a stranger-woman flailing her arms and yelling something indiscernible except for something about “teeth like razors” and “eaten alive,” you can bet I’ll hustle.*

Other than multiple shark sightings, the weekend was the most relaxing, glorious, magical experience. I was with three of my favorite people. We talked a lot. We laughed a lot. I read a lot. I barely checked into work email. I only almost-cried once (almost-cry: to be in mid-sentence when something strikes you as emotional, and your eyes burn for 3 seconds as your throat snaps shut and your voice breaks, only to recover and act like it never happened).

Catapulting out of a holiday weekend and back into Real Life, I should be all business. After taking an actual, honest-to-goodness vacation, I should be organizing my house and working out and running errands and grocery shopping and obliterating my to-do list. But right now, my throat hurts. And I think that the very best thing for me would be to practice playing “Come Together” on my guitar and congratulate myself for making it to the day-before-pay-day with a cool $1.04 remaining in my checking account.

So that’s what I’m doing tonight.

In future days, I’ll be sharing pictures of my new Shotgun house. I’ll surely have tales from my recent experimentation with CrossFit. I want to tell you about the music I’m head over heels for lately. My heart is being tugged in some very fresh and new ways. And I want to write it all down so I don’t forget, so I always remember what it feels like to be living these particular days. Time is going so fast. I want mine to count.

And I’m trying to figure out what that looks like.

*Running through water? Among the most awkward actions to attempt.

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7 Comments

  1. Michael Rhyne on May 29, 2013 at 7:15 PM

    Beautiful beach! Glad you made it out with all of you intact. I look forward to seeing and hearing more, but for now, it is enough to know that you followed the same pull as my wife and I did. We spent a few days last week at the Outer Banks. No, we couldn’t afford it. Yes, we desperately needed to be there!

  2. Emily on May 29, 2013 at 9:03 PM

    All is right now that there is hope for more words from Annie. I was getting a bit desperate!

    Welcome back to not-vacation life.

  3. Greta on May 29, 2013 at 9:36 PM

    *happy sigh.*

    When I saw the title of your post, I thought your were metaphorically referring to how difficult it can be to come back to real life after vacation: like a hammer to the head. Then I realized it was a literal hammerhead thing. Hammerhead sharks that don’t quite manage to eat you seem far better (and more interesting– you swam with sharks… On ACCIDENT!) than the hammer-to-the-head metaphor. Glad to hear you’ve been avoiding the metaphorical toolbox and indulging in continued vacationy activities. Love you.

  4. Bob on May 30, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    Any chance we could here your rendition of Come Together?

  5. Maria on May 30, 2013 at 9:14 AM

    Ooh that picture… which beach were you visiting?

    I went to San Diego for a little R&R this past weekend and it was lovely, but west coast beaches never measure up, in my opinion (and I’m right).

    Can’t wait to hear about all your recent happenings…

    On another note, I know perhaps you might be too busy to read these days but I just finished “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and I think you might like it. She is a bit like you perhaps – the book is about her trek along the Pacific Crest Trail for a summer all by herself. It’s lovely.

  6. Sarah on June 9, 2013 at 12:59 AM

    Beatles’ “Come Together”? One of my all-time faves. Would love to pick up a guitar, one day, and try that out. Congrats on making it to pay day :).

  7. kelli on June 17, 2013 at 8:51 PM

    Remember the time I almost-cried at the Rockies game?

    Me neither :) Miss you!! xoxo

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