There is one week of the year when I get to see my extended family together in one place. My family, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother spend 168 hours crammed into one house in the middle of Fripp Island, South Carolina. The one week I get to spend with all of them is completely insane, but I would not trade it for the world. Here’s why.
1. The Food.
I could go on about this for hours. THERE IS SO MUCH FOOD. When you have to feed a family of sixteen, you load up on snacks from Costco and clear the Oreo section in Publix. Of course, it all disappears within a matter of hours, so mid-week grocery store runs are not uncommon.
2. The golf-cart rides.
One of my favorite things about Fripp Island is how the most common mode of transportation is golf-carts. At night, my cousins and I will go on thirty-minute golf-cart rides just to see the island at night and honk at strangers (that's what everyone else does, right?).
3. The lack of productivity.
Productivity at the beach is non-existent. The only thing you’re expected to do is carry your chair to and from the beach.
4. The morning runs.
Running and I have a rocky relationship, but at the beach we tend to get along. The mornings I get to go on a run with my dad or my cousins are ones that I’ll never forget, because those are the best times I’ve ever had between 7 and 8 in the morning.
5. Going out to dinner.
We dress up nice, go to a nice restaurant, and order a TON of food, despite the massive quantities we have been eating all week.
6. Family Pictures.
Family pictures completely suck. Out of the twenty we take, maybe one looks okay-ish. Why are these great? Because nobody takes them seriously. It takes too much skill to take a decent picture of sixteen people.
7. The Night Swimming.
What could possibly be better than going swimming in a massive pool in the middle of the night?
8. The Memories.
You’re bound to have some good times with so many relatives under one roof. Whether it’s pouring rain outside or it’s the perfect day to go on the beach, there will be smiles all around.
