Big Fish. Small Pond.
We’ve got a celebrity guest blogger people. Guess who it is? You’ll never guess. It’s Jennifer Niesslein, author of Practically Perfect in Every Way: My Misadventures Through the World of Self-Help-and Back and co-founder of Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers.
Jennifer traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina this summer with her family, and writes about it here.
I’m trying to act cool, but this is basically the equivalent of Meryl Streep coming to see my 4th grade school play. Let’s all make Jennifer feel real welcome by buying her book and subscribing to her magazine right now. Okay? Truly, both are excellent.
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Oh, Ocracoke, if only you were not so far away. If only the drive home from your lovely village didn’t eventually result in tussles over which cousin was touching the other and the inevitable traffic backup. If only I had a larger car or shorter legs. If only. Because I would come down all the time.
Ocracoke is a long way from anywhere, as our innkeeper mentioned, but at least from central Virginia, it’s not too bad. Once we left the interstate into that borderland between Virginia and North Carolina, we were entertained. Mostly by the lawn ornaments. Are those two deer frolicking on the lawn? Look at all those geese! But wait! Turns out, these wily residents are psyching out all the thru traffic.
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For a long time, I didn’t know how to vacation properly. Oh, I sight-saw the shit out of places. I visited every museum/ historic marker/ biggest ball of twine. I dragged my loved ones to every lighthouse we encountered. I did research on what lunch venue was most satisfying. But I never got the knack of relaxing on vacation. I’d been to paradise, but I’d never been to me.
This vacation, I think I finally got the hang of balancing the activity with the relaxation. You can bet your bippy that there was activity—dining out, walking around the island, a kick-ass time at karaoke, the library and bookstore events—but I think what I’ll most remember is the relaxing moments.
My friend Sundae’s husband Rob captains The Windfall, and they kindly offered to take us out on it for a sunset cruise. I’d never been on a sailboat before, but can I channel a little Drew Barrymore here? It was just beautiful and peaceful and, damn, I loved it.
The other moment of relaxation was at the hotel pool. This was the vacation during which Caleb and my niece discovered that adults can be lifted quite easily in the water. Caleb hoisted me up like a tiny groom and my niece administered a surprisingly good scalp massage. They called it my “treatment.” As in, Mama’s got the nerves and she needs her treatment. They gave me my treatment for quite some time before they got bored and moved on to underwater tea parties and cannonballs and handstands. But I have to say: It was divine.
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We’re giving away a copy of Practically Perfect in Every Way: My Misadventures Through the World of Self-Help-and Back. Want to win it? Check out Jennifer’s book on Amazon, then tell us what four adjectives Salon.com used to describe it. Email your answer to jamie@travelsavvymom.com by midnight Friday with PERFECT as the subject. We’ll draw one winner at random.
Need a family friendly hotel in the Outer Banks? Jennifer Niesslein slept here:
The Anchorage Inn: Ocracoke, North Carolina
September 8th, 2008 | by Jennifer Niesslein 16 comments
1. Jane on September 8th, 2008
Ocracoke? Wow as a non-native I have to check this place out, if just for the name. Thank you Jennifer. Great article and I loved your book.
2. Kimberly Ford on September 8th, 2008
This is my kind of travel! I’ve never managed to get a scalp massage from my kids (divine indeed!) but I have realized that my favorite parts of any given vacation are the relaxing ones. I loved having this priority validated by someone as accomplished and smart as Jennifer Niesslein.
3. Nate Long on September 8th, 2008
Great article! My family plans entire trips around relaxation. We like to visit St. George Island, Fla. in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s part of the “Forgotten Coast,” meaning no ridiculous crowds or high-rise condos. I love the place because there’s not much to do but eat, sleep and enjoy the beach. Oh, and cook gigantic meals!
4. Jennifer Margulis on September 8th, 2008
I already have a lifetime subscription to Brain, Child (thanks to Kimberly!!) though lately it’s been going to Portland to my childless best friend Sue’s house. I need to get that changed! I haven’t read Practically Perfect yet, which is something to look forward to. Thanks for this post Jennifer! It’s great to see you on Travel Savvy Mom. (And as a side note, Isn’t Jamie awesome and hilarious? Shouldn’t she have a monthly column in Brain, Child?!)
Love,
Jennifer
5. Kathleen McGovern on September 8th, 2008
Loved this post — not just for content, but also for a reminder to relaaaaaax on vacation. Plus, anyone who uses “you bet your bippy” (my grandpa used to say that and I loved it) and “kick-ass time” in the same paragraph is bound to be someone who would have fun vacation tips!
6. Kayt Sukel on September 8th, 2008
“Practically Perfect” is an outstanding book. It’s funny, poignant and reminded me that it is A-OK to have sex in the guest room.
And Jennifer, can you maybe ask Caleb to school my kid in the art of scalp massage? ‘Cause who couldn’t use a treatment when traveling with kids?
7. Jennifer Niesslein on September 8th, 2008
Aw, thanks so much for the rock star treatment! (As distinct from “the treatment.”)
And I do indeed agree that Jamie is fabulous!
8. Liza Hausman on September 8th, 2008
Great writing. I was taking this all very seriously until I discovered Jennifer has a friend named Sundae, which stopped me in my tracks. Thanks for the post and I’ll be entering to win. Jamie rocks!
9. Soultravelers3 on September 8th, 2008
Love your magazine, enjoyed this post, can’t wait to read your book!
I got relaxed just reading about your vacation! Loved your picture on the boat in the sunset, reminded me of our sailing as a family. Isn’t it the greatest?
I haven’t been to Ocracoke, but will have to put it on our list when we hit North America on our open ended world tour!
Yes, Jamie does rock and is sooo funny! Thanks for hosting such a great guest writer. ;)
10. MountainMama on September 9th, 2008
Thanks for reminding me about Brain, Child. Must check out this magazine.
11. Kayt Sukel on September 9th, 2008
Brain, Child is brilliant. Smart, funny and really down-to-earth. Jennifer’s essay about unmarried Moms was one that was passed around a lot by my family (and maybe should be re-run with all this Palin hoopla). Definitely something to pick up when you can!
12. Mara on September 9th, 2008
Love TSM, love Jennifer Niesslein, love Brain Child (subscribe of course), love this post.
Can only hope one day to have my own humble piece of the Internet so graced.
13. Mari Chazen on September 9th, 2008
Great article and glad to learn about Brain, Child — I will have to check it out. Thanks.
14. DesertMama on September 9th, 2008
Great post – divine actually. I heart Jennifer Niesslein, Brain Child AND Jamie.
I think the Outerbanks is now on my list of “to-dos.”
15. Jamie Pearson on September 10th, 2008
If this thread is going to devolve into a discussion of how great I am, then I have to say: I’m all for it.
Who saw Kung Fu Panda? Remember this line?
There is no charge for awesomeness…or attractiveness.
16. Rebecca on September 15th, 2008
Jennifer = great. Jamie = great. Brain Child = great. Driving the number of hours it would take me to get to the Outer Banks with two small children in the back of the car = um… not so great. (And it’s a shame. Because I love it there…)
16 Responses to “Big Fish. Small Pond.”