Donna Robinson Photography

We closed on SSI Casa de Playa in early January and there have been very few weekends we haven’t made the drive to the house. We don’t need much persuading to go……all it takes is for one of us to throw the idea out there and within an hour we’re on the road, punching our way through Atlanta traffic. We pretty much have the timing of the commute down, 4 1/2 hours door to door (when the traffic gods are on our side)…….and if we’re lucky we can make it without stopping. Knowing that the weekends pass by way too fast, we are very diligent about the time we spend on SSI. Whether it’s completing our projects list for the weekend, exploring the island or taking long morning walks we make sure that every moment is purposely spent. While there is so much to do and see on the Island, it’s the walks on the beach I enjoy the most (well, the jeep rides do come in a very close second). During low tide the ocean resends so far out it opens up expansive sandbars to walk on and to take in all that it has left behind. Seagulls can be seen taking a dip in the pools of water left behind….. Or taking flight………. Shrimpers can also be seen dragging their nets offshore, working for their daily catch. When you live in a large city like Atlanta you become conditioned to crowded roads, the sounds of police and fire sirens and traffic helicopters hovering above. Which is why I especially appreciate how freeing walks on the beach can be and why SSI Casa de Playa is a hard place it is to leave.

“Life is a journey, not a destination……….you are the artist, paint what you will.” This is a combination of my two (2) favorite sayings and very appropriate these days as my husband and I embark on a new adventure. We have always wanted to move to a coastal town where life is simple, the people are friendly and everyday is a new beginning; a place that beckons our inner souls to do the things we always wanted to do, but were held back by the demands and commitments of life. We recently found that special place on St. Simons Island, Georgia (known as SSI by the locals). It’s a neighborly place where people smile and say “hello” with the genuine sincerity of a long time friend; it’s a simple place of no demands or stress which comes with city living; it’s a beautiful place of ocean breezes and streets lined with large oak trees draped in Spanish moss.

Spanish Moss drapes the overhanging trees of Old Demere Rd.

We first visited SSI in 2012 when some dear friends invited us down over the 4th of July. I had never experienced the true meaning of small town America until that first visit. As we arrived on The Island and headed down Kings Way, we immediately found our blood pressure drop…. the large oak trees lined the road with their canopy arching high welcoming us to the enchanted village. It was like a page out of history or a scene out of Mayberry R.F.D. (for those of you old enough to remember the T.V. show). July 4th was straight out of a movie. The streets were lined with locals anxiously waiting for the parade; their golf carts festively decked out in stars and stripes fanfare; and fireworks bursting over the Pier.

Patriotism

Fast forward to 2015, after many visits to SSI we finally purchased a second home where we can escape, relax and begin living the next chapter of our lives. Thanks to a wonderful suggestion by our dear friend, Meg, we named our new home “SSI Casa de Playa.” There’s not much to SSI Casa de Playa. It’s a simple place, a clean canvas that beckons us to fill it with our personalities. We’re both excited and cautious about this journey; excited because everything we have dreamt about is finally coming to life; cautious because every time we visit our new home we have to pinch ourselves to make sure it’s real; and a little humbled because all of the years of our labor are finally paying off. I have no idea what will unfold from here, but I do know that every time we visit it becomes more difficult to leave.