It’s hard to believe it’s been a little over a week since I was on a beach. A gorgeous, perfect, breathtaking beach. A beach with soft white sand, incredible clear blue water & warm sun. I can close my eyes & still smell the salt in the air, feel the breeze in my hair and the sun beating down on my face. As a former skin cancer patient, I usually avoid the sun & the beach but sometimes it is exactly what the doctor ordered.

This Covid year, my dad’s continuing illness, the isolation, has done a number on my psyche. I’m a more down than up mess. I’m continually seeking purpose in this new world we live in, and the minute I find some peace, a new routine, a new normal I can live with… it’s altered again. New rules, new Chicken Littles, new worries. My soul can’t take much more.

My plate was completely full, and yet my house was empty. My kids were all overseas. It was just me & Dave, the cats & the lizard. We saved an incredible amount of money on food and decided to splurge and go back to our happy place. We decided to go back to Sardinia, home to our favoritest family vacation ever, but this time just the two of us. And Amber, our dear friend who needed a break as much as we did.

I packed up my laptop, swimsuit & SPF50 swimshirts, threw it in my backpack and went! Despite Covid there is a direct flight from Stuttgart to Olbia, and before we knew it we were on the ground. No longer in a cold, rainy Germany but warm, sunny Italy. Instantly we were all smiles. What a difference a change of scenery makes!

That very first day we checked into our booking.com apartment, clean & cool with air conditioning, and pulled on our swimsuits. The beach was calling our name. The waves practically screamed “Toiny! Come swim!”

I barely had time to drop my towel on the sand, just a five minute walk from our apartment, and I was in warm, turquoise water. Floating. Bobbing up & down on gentle waves. All my stress being carried away, out to sea. It was instant reset. My soul was refreshed.

Spiaggia rena Bianca

Spiaggia rena Bianca

Spiaggia La Pelosa

Spiaggia La Pelosa

Spiaggia Longa

Isola Rossa

Spiaggia Longa

Calla Rossa