Our Unexpected Hurrication

We are home safe from our unexpected vacation, or hurrication as most people on social media have coined it. We left Destin, Florida yesterday morning at 9am and arrived home around 11pm last night. It was a long, slow ride but luckily we didn't encounter any crazy gas lines or terrible drivers. 

Our power turned on around 4pm yesterday and the damage at the house is very nominal. We are lucky. We've spent the day today removing screens and debris from the pool, emptying the refrigerator and freezer, and taking the shutters down. We've removed about eight trash bags of food from the house so a trip to the grocery store is definitely on the to do list. 

Despite the crap week that we've had and the devastation caused by Irma, we ended up having a nice time away. We discovered a beautiful place in the panhandle of Florida and will definitely be back for a real vacation. 

When we initially arrived in the panhandle Friday morning, we checked into a room at a Comfort Inn for about four hours before we had to check out. We only booked one night, we weren't sure where we would end up and how long we were staying. We noticed there was a Doggy Daycare right down the street from our hotel and made it a point to call and ask for rates. We had Fitz with us but knew we would both be happier if he wasn't couped up in a hotel room with us. After we rested for a bit, we started searching for rooms. There was very little available and ended up deciding on Destin, Florida at a resort on Miramar Beach. It was the best decision we made all week, well besides the decision to evacuate category 5 Irma. We boarded Fitz, the place was crate/kennel free so he spent the week playing and roaming around with a bunch of other Hurricane Irma evacuees.

We drove to the beach and stopped at Destin Commons to get some items we forgot to pack and grabbed lunch at Panera, we then headed to the hotel. The beach was gorgeous. We spent most of the time at the beach and the pool. We really couldn't do much as Destin was also preparing for Irma on the slight chance she veered west, lots of businesses were closed. Despite this, we were still able to enjoy the beach and the awesome sunsets, my favorite part.

I've never considered leaving my town but if I did, it would be to here. The mornings were cool and in the 60's and even at the peak of the day, the weather was amazing. The town has the best parts of Florida but with seasons. Something to keep in mind for sure!

I know we were lucky to have had an enjoyable week and for that I am grateful. I have prayed so hard for everyone's safety and while some friends have extensive damage, everyone is ok and safe.  I pray for the rest of my evacuated friends to have a safe drive home and then we can all get back to normal!