The Yearly Reality Check

We have just returned from our yearly reality check, otherwise known as family vacation.

We don't do much on our reality check. We pack the kids, two coolers of food, and other necessities for a week in the remote resort "outback" known as North Swan Beach, NC. North Swan Beach is a short ride up the beach from Corolla, NC, and is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. There are no roads, just sandy paths which suggest where to drive.  

In years past, photography has been MY clearly defined focus of our reality check.  This year was no different. However, this year I focused on taking photos of our family, and not so much on sunrises, and sunsets. This change in photography philosophy (say that three times fast) was incredibly rewarding and the result was I was able to capture the memorable experiences our children and adults, too, shared on our vacation. 

I won't bore everyone with family portraits and snapshots, if you would like to see all that I have 100 photos up on my Facebook page. This shot is of the Wash Woods Life Saving Station, which was originally an outpost of the U.S. Coast Guard, but is now the local Twiddy Realty sales center, which they restored several years ago.

The popular cliché when returning from a week away is to greet friends and colleagues with the phrase "Back to Reality." I'll challenge that notion by suggesting that spending undivided time with our loved ones is reality. That notion has me reordering how I am going to spend the next 51 weeks until we brave the beaches of North Carolina for the next installment of our family reality check.