Charleston, SC - My Screw It experience

[jfoxcpacfp]

Am finally on my Screw it - time to spend vacation with the next 2 generations. It is even better than I expected - probably the best beach property available in Charleston, SC (sitting on Folly Beach with a private boardwalk leading directly to the sand). This house (linking in case anyone else plans a family trip to this area in the future) has 3 stories, both families have their own floor with mine in the middle. All rooms face the ocean. Kids are ecstatic. I am sitting here listening to little feet patter around on the floor above me and hearing little baby squeaks from the floor below as I sit propped up in bed watching people dog-walking and exercising on the (for now) lonely beach. It is lovely and peaceful.

It ain’t cheap. When I count up the costs, it will be at least $15k for only 1 week out of my life. It will be worth it - I’m already thinking about reserving the house for this time next year so the kids and all the cousins will have the delicious anticipation of talking about it and planning for next time. We’ll see when we get closer to the end of the week (we just arrived yesterday). But I just wanted to share - I already know our “screw it” experience is well worth the cost. We won’t have anything tangible to go home to, but we will have something better that won’t rust, or be outgrown, or become a spending regret.

Writing this to encourage those of you who can afford to screw it on a family experience who are holding back - imagine yourself looking back over your life with a huge net worth that you wish you had enjoyed more while you had the time to do it. Don’t spend frivolously and without purpose, of course, but with consideration of what is important each day on this journey of life. This is not a round trip, my friends. If you can’t afford it now, this is the reason you are working so hard. Keep that in mind on the tough days and plan for your future Screw It.

[q-school]

Have fun! You picked a great place to start a new family tradition.

[ENT Doc]

Nice house. Timely post. Trying to arrange a week in NC next year with family who I haven’t vacationed with all together in nearly 2 decades. Rental price was high, but the opportunity cost was much, much higher. Sometimes you just have to say screw it and not be a slave to your income.

[trebizond]

Concur on both Charleston and the general principles you lay out. I will say I have never regretted any vacation taken in nature, especially with my other family members. Sunrise at Acadia, the redwood forests, the waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Yosemite, etc. all unforgettable and worth every penny.

[Hatton]

My Dad rented a house for a couple of years in Duck, NC on the outer banks.  Looks similar.  Great time with my 2 brothers and their kids all in the same house.

[WorkingToFish]

My parents are at this point in their lives. My dad recently retired from a long, stressful, yet lucrative career (not in medicine) that has enabled him to take our family on big trips, essentially all expenses paid for. Last year we went to Disney and had the time of our lives with all the kids running around like maniacs in a huge house and at all the Disney parks. To be totally cliche, it was magical to see the happiness on my parents faces to know they were able to provide an experience their children and grandchildren will never forget. And for that reason, I look forward to doing the same when I am at their point in my life.

Thanks for sharing this!

[ENT Doc]

Hatton, that’s pretty funny. That’s where we vacationed for years and is where my father would like to have everyone come back to next Summer. He deserves it. Screw it! :-)

[Brains428]

I did my 6 years of internship/residency/fellowship there. Need any suggestions?

[SerrateAndDominate]

Charleston is a beautiful place. Liked it for residency but too far from my gf (now wife) who was in dental school at time. Spent a week there trying to get into a fellowship. Lots of great restaurants

[Anne]

Awesome!--just curious Johanna, earlier this year you said you were planning the family beach vacation in San Diego.  Why did you end up choosing Charleston instead?  As an adult, I prefer SD, but I think the beaches around Charleston are a better choice for little kids.

[CordMcNally]

That’s a beautiful house. You’ve given them many memories that will last generations. Priceless.

[jfoxcpacfp]

Anne wrote:

Awesome!–just curious Johanna, earlier this year you said you were planning the family beach vacation in San Diego.  Why did you end up choosing Charleston instead?  As an adult, I prefer SD, but I think the beaches around Charleston are a better choice for little kids.

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I am so glad you asked - had forgotten several people kindly shared some insight on SD when I originally asked, so you deserve an answer ;-)

We are nearer Charleston, only a 1-hr SWA flight from Nashville and the water is warm; someone had mentioned it is rather chilly on the west coast. We decided with so many kids, the location and climate were closer to ideal at this stage in their lives. As a bonus, the other grandparents of Matt’s kids live just an hour out of the way in Tryon, NC, and offered to keep JL, the special needs son they adopted from China at age 6. The kids found out when they went to the beach last year that he is afraid of the ocean, so he is getting to spend some special time with his other grandparents (and they saved me the cost of 5 additional SWA tkts).

Still not ruling out when they’re older☀️.

[VagabondMD]

It sounds like a great idea and vacation.

We have always traveled well as a family, mostly domestically, and to Disney, the mountains, beaches, and national parks. Nothing major, though.

I had my "screw it" moment in 2013, while my daughter was performing as a Young Cosette in a professional musical, and I dreamily said to my wife, wouldn't it be great if the family someday traveled to Paris? She nodded with the look of "yeah, but we will never do it because you won't let us".

I thought about it for a couple of days, realizing the "someday" probably meant never, said "screw it" and booked a tremendous, bespoke custom vacation for the four of us for a week over New Year's in Paris. It was the greatest vacation of my life at that point, and we still talk about it all the time.

Now, we have a "screw it" caliber vacation every year, and it's in the retirement budget at $20k (as an average placeholder cost).

[SLC OB]

Funny... the Bay Area meet up thread got taken over due to my mention of Chez Pannise, a restaurant in Berkeley CA. It will be an experience, although not as grand as yours, with my kids and brother/nephew. We have to take the time & spend the money on these experiences... as we will never get the time back.

https://www.chezpanisse.com/menus/

In case anyone is interested....

My 12 year old is going on his trip with Nana this year. Nana takes each grandchild on their very own special trip at the age of 12. Why 12? They are old enough to get themselves ready, packed, etc. but not too old that Nana is not cool anymore. My older son spent a week sailing in the San Juan Islands on a 110 foot sail boat and my daughter spent a week in Seattle learning to blow glass and take in the art/restaurant scene. My youngest, who leaves in 2 weeks, will go to Chicago, participate in a cooking camp, explore Chicago, and go to Alinea for dinner one night.

https://www.alinearestaurant.com

https://chicago.eater.com/2016/5/5/11599500/grant-achatz-chefs-table-netflix-video-clip

He is an avid chef and I now pay him to make dinners (this week he made curry chicken with carrots, broccoli, and baby corn with steamed rice; Quiche; Twice baked sweet potatoes (spiced with cumin and chayenne pepper) with barbecued chicken)... since he loves it and is only 12... he makes $5-10/meal (you going to report me to CPS for child-labor violation?).

[jfoxcpacfp]

Brains428 wrote:

I did my 6 years of internship/residency/fellowship there. Need any suggestions?

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Would love them - we are thinking about the boat trip to Ft. Sumter and the aquarium. Had considered a plantation tour, but afraid they might get bored (oldest only 11). Would really appreciate feedback and ideas. Fancy restaurants probably out this go round but there appear to be many excellent restaurants within walking distance. If there are some local haunts you’d really recommend, I’ll keep the kids and send the grownups out - which is what I’m here for, anyway?.