bACK Home
Last week I was fortunate enough to spend 7 days on the island before the craziness of the July 4th weekend. My flight was reasonably priced, the island was a peaceful and not too busy, the weather was stunning, seeing my Mom and brother brought me pure joy, and the overall vibe and energy that I wanted to soak up was everything that I needed. The magical healing powers of Nantucket never cease to amaze me…And when I need it, it does its thing and I always leave healthier, happier, and more energized. I hadn’t been home since Christmas and that is a long time for me, so I soaked up every day, every moment, and had a time. Here is a quick little recap of what it looked like. ENJOY!
Nantucket Workouts
I switched things up this trip and it felt really good! YES, I was still my crazy workout self, but I didn’t go to the gym (this was a big step for me, as usually always make a few trips to the local gym), I didn’t lift weights, I didn’t do yoga, I just walked and did a lot of running and I LOVED every second of it and so did my body! I wish the pups could have been with me, because Nantucket is also a dog’s dream come true (another story for another time). It was an active trip, but I also knew I needed a break from the high intensity workouts that I was doing in Charleston. So walk and run was the routine!
Y’all know I love walking, but walking on Nantucket is a whole different kind of walk. I could and literally did walk for hours. I was averaging about 23K steps a day and it felt effortless. I would walk to town, the beach, the bike paths, I walked everywhere. And the weather was so beautiful, that I just craved being outside. My runs were strong and all the strength training and StepKill helped on the hills. Yes, there are more hills on Nantucket than in Charleston. I would be hitting the pavement before 7:00 AM (it starts getting light on the island at 4:30 AM), so it was nice to be out there alone with a few cyclist or runners and mostly workers heading to jobs. A beautiful way to start the day and I viewed it as my meditation, so I felt clear, happy, and present with my Mom, so I could help her and be with her. It was wonderful.
Nantucket Food
The food on Nantucket makes me just as happy as being on the island! I always come back to Charleston with more food than what I packed. It is now a running joke. Ziploc bags filled with bagels, Pink Salt Sourdough, Bartlett’s Farms scones, oatmeal cookies, and treats, and chocolates for friends from Aunt Leah’s Fudge. I love it though and I freeze most of the goodies until they are all gone and then I need to go bACK.
I also eat differently on the island…My appetite always seems to be revved up (blame it on the salt air and being so close to the ocean), I eat out more, and I enjoy every single bite of my Mom’s meals. The only supplement I take is my probiotic once in the morning. I don’t eat protein bars or protein smoothies. This trip, I actually ate a lot of meat. My body was craving it and I was enjoying steaks, roast beef sandwiches, and burgers. WHOAAA…who am I? We all know that I love steak, but this trip I just went all in. It was also the week before my cycle, so the appetite and meat cravings also makes sense too.
My Mom’s fridge is always full and she has a lot more things than I do. I made lots of big salads, tomatoes with mozzarella, basil and olive oil, tuna salad, chicken cacciatore…My Mom feeds me well and I let her. It was nice to have sit down dinners with her and talk about everything or nothing, and sit outside. My heart and belly were so full with all the love and it was exactly what I wanted and needed.
Nantucket Friends
I met up with a lot of old and new friends and it was just what my soul needed. I can be a hermit and kind of get stuck into my routine, say NO a lot, and kind of get in my own damn way, but this trip I made baby steps to get out of my way and make time for some very special people. I spent time with my usual suspects getting into trouble and enjoying the night life on Nantucket, which is always a good time and filled with reminiscing, laughter, good wine, and really damn good food. (Make sure to check out the Lola Burger…it’s so damn DELISH). I also finally met Victoria (pictured above) face to face after following each other for years on social media. And also spent a special morning with Renee, the owner of Skar Designs Jewelry (post coming soon about her and her pieces). I’m very fortunate to have met a lot of really special people on the island over the years and I love how my circle keeps growing as I do too. It’s a beautiful thing!
Nantucket Roses
It was raining roses the entire week I was on the island and I was here for it. I walked and I took pictures of ALL the flowers. It is hard not to. And the roses were putting on their best show the entire week. It was truly amazing. If you know me, you know I love flowers, so when I come home, between the hydrangeas and the roses, I am pretty happy. I think the soil, the sand in the soil, and the air make the flowers grow differently up here? Is that true? Feel free to comment and let me know. Blooming flowers, long walks, lots of time spent outside…what else does a girl need?
As of right now, I don’t have any trips booked bACK yet, but with summer disappearing really fast, I should probably book the trip and just GO! Thank you Nantucket for doing what you do best…See you soon!
xoxo
