The visit to Charleston last weekend was fantastic. My folks have a beach house on Folly Beach that they rent a few times a year, and this was Matt's and my second time going. Its location is excellent: it's set on a quiet street (1) about twenty feet back from the beach, with a raised boardwalk that leads to the sand (1,2,3). It was an ideal place to watch the sun set (1,2,3). It rained through the night and was cloudy and choppy Friday morning (1,2,3,4,5), but it cleared, and most of the day was windy and bright. Matt and I spent it alternately reading, sunning and reading in the sun. Saturday was even more ideal, and more people came to enjoy it (1,2,3). We spent several hours in the afternoon with my parents, walking through some of the historic sections of the city proper. The considerable age of the area is apparent everywhere-- especially in its greenery-- and it's one of the area's best features (1,2). The prevalence of well-manicured gardens, many of which are enclosed or hidden away, was also beautiful (1,2). We had lunch at a small shop called Joseph's, complete with sweet tea, then skedaddled as hoardes of other tourists packed the area. We had dinner with some friends of the family, and the sunset on Saturday was even more gorgeous than the previous night (1,2,3,4). Just as dusk settled in, I happened to see a lithe black-and-white dunekitten prowling confidently through the scrub flanking the beach! She mewed at me and rolled around and around very energetically, but wouldn't let me pet her.... Shame. On Sunday morning it was time to clean up and head out, and after saying goodbye, Matt and I left for Athens.

This summary is pretty sparse, but in truth it was an excellent vacation and couldn't have come at a perfect time. I came home happier and healthier (and tanner), and feeling much more prepared to face the end of the semester.