A Week at Nana’s Place

The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

It’s been a very stressful couple of months for us. J left his safe, secure job of ten years for a computer start-up that requires late nights, early mornings or way too often – no sleep at all. And me? Well, it’s the daily struggle to balance the “optolife” of endless studying, long days seeing patients & still finding time for myself and my favorite people in the whole world. That’s why when the opportunity to steal away for a week arose, we didn’t hesitate. Bags were hastily packed, the Jeep was loaded and the crowded Philly skyline was replaced by sand dunes for days.

Sea Oats Drive abruptly ended and there at the bottom of the steep, sandy drop-off was a steel-grey house on stilts perched above the ocean – “Nana’s Place.” We had arrived.

A quick inspecition of the cottage told us that Nana’s Place had seen better days. Despite the dampness that seemed to stick to the furniture and stray pieces of sand that had blown in, the cottage held fast against the rolling tide below. It was everything we didn’t know we needed then; it was perfect.

There was a storm brewing, so J went into town for supplies & food. He returned with a gallon of water & a brown paper bag with dinner in it. That night we didn’t bother to unpack. Instead we sat cross-legged on the dining room chairs, inhaled the most amazing burritos by candlelight & talked about everything and nothing. As the cottage swayed with the warm wind that rushed through the windows, and I laid in bed with Reesie at my feet & J beside me, I knew that my little family would be alright.