It has been a hot minute since I shared a bit about my time in Isle of Palms, South Carolina with y’all since over the Summer on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee) yet I always look at my time there with such a big smile. My best friend Hannah hosted me and my best friends Bree and Alanna for a week at her family’s home there at Wild Dunes. There, we had a girl’s week with Hannah’s mom and some of Hannah’s mom’s friends and their dogs (which made me MAJORLY rejoice as a fellow Dog Lover!). Our week at Isle of Palms was filled with so many memories, from the four of us bunking together in the same tiny bedroom, kayaking on the ocean (which terrified me LOL!) to look for sand dollars on the sand bar, and catching up with one another without any looming deadlines or outside things going on.
Isle of Palms, South Carolina is one of a few islands neighboring the charming Southern city of Charleston. Other neighboring islands include Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island. More specifically speaking, we stayed alongside the private gate-controlled Wild Dunes Resort/community on Isle of Palms. Confession: I am *terrified* of alligators and have been since I was a kid and knowing that South Carolina has many native alligators nerved me SOOOOO MUCH – LOL! Luckily, I saw NO alligators on this trip, but Hannah’s mom did and saved us that grace. From where we were in Wild Dunes, we were about 45 minutes from downtown Charleston which we did a day to (here) that included LOTS of shopping (here). I had actually been to Isle of Palms and Charleston back in September 2019 for a brief 72 hours (here) for a college trip and LOVED it. Needless to say, I am SO glad that I got to spend a lot more time this time around in Isle of Palms!
For the most part, we spend our time in Isle of Palms simply enjoying the moments that we had together. There are 3 different cities and 2 different states that Alanna, Hannah, Bree, and I live in, which makes it THAT much more challenging to get time together especially for almost a week. We enjoyed several walks on the beach and golf course, plenty of moments doing nothing other than snacking and sipping some wine, and a ton of valuable conversations in between it all. We did enjoy an afternoon in Mount Pleasant, including a trip to the local Goodwill (aka my idea) and the Mount Pleasant Shopping Center where I got to enjoy walking into a Belk for the first time in practically *forever* (!!!!) as well as indulging in Cookout. On another occasion, we enjoyed a nice dinner in Mount Pleasant with Hannah’s mom and her friends, where on the way we coincidentally found ourselves right in front of the iconic Isle of Palms pink flamingo house that I later found out is available for rent (!!!!!). On this trip, I am SOOO glad that we were not in a hustle once, given how I usually am in my 9-5 life.
Funny story: as me, Hannah, Alanna, and Bree were all riding into Isle of Palms around midnight, I couldn’t help but fall *in love* with the stunning palm trees whose shape I could vaguely see via the highway’s lights. Then, I *knew* that we were close to the beach and I got SOOO excited! Once we got up the next morning, Hannah and I took her amazing and ultra-adorable boxer mix Pixie for a walk on the beach. What I LOVE about Hannah’s family’s home is that it is right on the beach and is SOOOO peaceful given its proximity to the Wild Dunes Resort. We took many many many walks on the beach and at the nearby golf course and enjoyed many sunsets together, too. One of my favorite activities was reading a beach read while looking out over the beach. We also enjoyed a time afternoon on the beach, too, and an evening at the community access pool and hot tub. One of my *very very very* favorite activities was getting to enjoy dinners with Hannah, Alanna, Bree, Hannah’s mom, and her friends. It was SO nice to all simply catch up, share our thoughts, and get inspired be one another given our different life journeys and seasons of life.
I got extremely inspired by the incredible women around me on this trip to Isle of Palms. Every afternoon, Hannah made delicious smoothies which only kickstarted my own healthy eating journey to include smoothies (!!!!). Not only were Hannah’s smoothies SOOOO refreshing in this humid and hot South Carolina heat, but they were also so fueling, too. Smoothies inspired me SO much on this trip to start my own healthy eating and lifestyle journey, alongside Hannah’s mom and her friends who all strive to live and healthy lifestyle. When I got back to Northern Virginia, I implemented and continue to implement my own version of a healthy lifestyle. Another way that I got inspired in Isle of Palms was through hearing Hannah’s mom and her friends discuss dating today versus when they were dating before my friends’ and I’s time. I LOVED hearing their perspectives on dating and the lack of a need to rush things when it comes to dating, too. As someone in her early twenty’s who has many college and even high school classmates getting married and engaged and starting families of their own, it can be extremely daunting or worrisome to think that I am not on a similar timeline and life stage as them. However, at the same time, I have come to learn that it’s REALLY important in fact even vital to be married to the right person to start a life with (whatever that may look like!) as opposed to getting married at a young age to someone who you may think in the moment is the right one. I ALSO learned the value of meeting others in-person via through friends and family and perhaps in the real world as opposed to on an online dating platform. Needless to say, I left South Carolina so much more inspired than when I came!
From inspiration both via the stunning Wild Dunes views and beyond and conversations that were had, I left South Carolina with such a recharged and happy heart. I find myself SOOO lucky that I was able to take some time away from work to spend with Hannah, Alanna, and Bree. I also want to thank Hannah and her mom for hosting us and an incredible week here at Isle of Palms. Isle of Palms is truly one of the prettiest places that I have ever been to!
XOXO – Katie <3