Fripp Island, South Carolina

After late nights of games and excited squeals from Matt’s little sisters, the quiet of the morning is so welcome.  I’m a bit of an introvert in the first place, but sometimes it makes me feel like the uncool adult.  Still, the morning is my favorite part of the day…especially here.

The morning was when the tide was high almost every walk I took, and being on the water for long periods of time in the stillness of the morning was cathartic.  There’s room for thoughts that are deep and thoughts that go nowhere and observations that turn into mental notes to look up later. 

Being out early has its wildlife perks, too.  Nobody else is out to collect the best shells (one of my favorite beach activities since I was young!).  The temperature is cool, so animals can come out of their normal places.  The morning is also when Matt’s parents saw baby sea turtles crawling towards the ocean (Papa helped guide two to the ocean–he’s such a good coach!).  I felt like I was borderline going to acquire text neck from looking at the sand from amazement and caution (I almost stepped on several crabs and two jellyfish–not my preferred vacation activities!).  Looking down also allowed me to discover my first live starfish.  

My morning walks were yet another lesson in slowing down and opening my eyes to what was actually happening in front of me.  Savor the moment!

Film Processing: Photovision Prints