I Wasn’t Sure About Going Without Him — But We Went Anyway
One photo, a thousand memories. Read about what this beach trip taught me about parenting, presence, and going anyway.
We try to travel every fall and spring break. It’s something we’ve come to look forward to as a family — a chance to reset, to make space for something different, to be together outside the routine. But this time was different.
My husband was in the middle of his tenure process, and work was heavy on both of us. I felt the pull to keep our tradition going, to make space for something meaningful for my son, even if I wasn’t sure I had the energy to enjoy it myself. And so, for the first time, I planned a trip for just the two of us — a spring break trip to Charleston, where we used to live, and a few days on Folly Beach.
Brunch chaos and comfort food at its finest. Lost Dog Café never disappoints — even when we bring crayons and questions and no plan at all.
The logistics were easy. We knew the area, we had places we loved. I thought it would feel grounding — familiar. And in some ways, it was.
But in others, not so much.
The beach was cold and the water was murky from ongoing reclamation work. One day we got a flat tire and had to Uber back to the airport. I was tired. Work stress was buzzing in my chest even as I tried to soak up the sun and listen for the ocean.
And yet…
My son had a blast.
He splashed in the waves and hunted for shells. He shrieked with delight while I held his hand and helped him fight against the waves. He eagerly fed stingrays at the aquarium and explored hatch after hatch in the USS Yorktown. He didn’t seem to care that the weather wasn’t perfect or that I wasn’t my most relaxed self. He was just happy we were there.
Turns out helicopters make excellent playgrounds.
I wasn’t able to fully let go — and I wish I could say I did. But I was proud. Proud that we went anyway. That I showed up, even in the middle of stress and uncertainty, and created space for joy. Maybe not for me in the moment, but definitely for him. And maybe, in hindsight, for me too.
Sometimes showing up for the life I want to build doesn’t feel magical. It feels messy and heavy and uncertain. But it’s still the life I want — and this trip was part of it.
Determined to ride every wave — or at least wrestle the boogie board into submission.
Thanks for reading and I hope you find your reason to go anyway!
~ We Went Anyway
About Christal
I’m a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer who believes in resisting hustle culture and finding awe through slow, meaningful travel with my family. I’ve explored four continents, often blending work and play through teaching abroad and cultural immersion.
I created We Went Anyway as a space to share stories about choosing presence over perfection and finding joy in a full, connected life through adventure — big and small.
When I’m not writing or hiking, you’ll find me sipping peppermint tea on the porch with friends, building Legos with my son, watching design videos to guide the slow remodel of our 118-year-old home, or planning the next family trip from our home base in Kentucky.
Because sometimes the most meaningful adventures
start when we go anyway.