Taryn's Journal: Learning something new

Yesterday, I enjoyed being able to try a paddle board yoga class. I have done yoga, and paddle boarding, but not at the same time. I had a great instructor and that made my soul happy to learn a new thing or two. To feel the waves rock gently back and forth under me and watch birds soar overhead as I exercised. My motion sickness- prone man was happy to sit in the air conditioned car and read a book for his pastor search committee instead.

We don't do fancy restaurants very often, but it was a great to go to a French restaurant called Pierre's afterwards and watch the sunset. I now want to learn how to make a rice pilaf with lentils and marinated artichokes. Most of my family wouldn't appreciate this dish, but I wouldn't mind eating the whole pot by myself. I am learning in my forties that I enjoy my own company and to let each his own in the things that aren't central. (Like the signs in the gift shops that read "take it or leave it" ). My husband doesn't want to hear about the history of what was going on in 1909 when I read the factoids off the back of menus. He doesn't care to hear the scientific explanations of why the water appears blue-ish green here, or what kind of orange flowering tree it is that I see everywhere. He doesn't want to google why there are red hearts on the fences of businesses here. He enjoys a good lounge chair in the sun with his Beats plugged in. We understand this about one another and go about life side-by-side sharing somethings (like key lime pie), and not others (business models and news reels), and noting the differences (I like my pie extra tart), if not exactly crying out "vive la difference!"

He is silly on vacation. I value the educational side of travel and want to experience something new.

We stopped in this key lime pie shop so that A could talk about what he learned from watching their story on the Profit episode (snore).

Then again, he also indulged me by passing at least five sludge-in-a- cup diners until we could find the perfect café on the scenic highway for my chai tea latte and blueberry scone. (Score!)

He drove around the block so that I could hop out and snap a picture of this lighthouse. And posed (somewhat willingly) for pictures of quirky touristy things that I find interesting in vintage Florida.

You want me to take my picture with a sponge man?

AND a signpost? This IS my happy face!

Interesting history, but we would vote for Sarabeth's for brunch if we had it to do again.

This historical railroad was destroyed by a hurricane

And, apparently, the sea's colors have something to do with light refraction, and the depth of the water, and light bouncing off the white sand below, and the warm temperature of the water along with the life forms it can sustain and the amount of dead matter that has sunk to the bottom and how well that material reflects light.

When A's patience for picture-taking and historical sign-reading and google-searching met the end of the road, we headed back so that he could catch a few more rays before our return tomorrow.