Back in March, after I decided on a surgery date, Neil and I planned a weekend trip to one of our favorite places, Carmel. We thought it would be nice to have a weekend together beforehand and there is no better place for us than to visit the place Neil proposed to me (Jamaica, where we got married, isn’t a 2 hour drive unfortunately). Being near the ocean and breathing in the sea air instantly calms me. I left my surgery worries at home and had a very relaxing weekend with my husband.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is full of fancy art galleries, cute little boutique shops and amazing restaurants. We spent a couple hours walking around and headed over to Flaherty’s Oyster Bar for lunch. I would eat Seafood every day of my life if I could. I ended up ordering lobster bisque and a lobster BLT while Neil had the fish bowl. I probably said Mmmm 20 times while devouring it. It was so delicious!

We did a little shopping. I bought a bar towel and cute wooden wine glass holder. After a few hours of shopping, we made our way down to the beach. We climbed up onto the exact spot Neil proposed to me up on Pebble Beach and sat for a while. Watching the waves crash in is so cathartic and this spot holds a special place in my heart. This was the medicine I needed to calm my nerves before surgery. Before leaving Carmel, we stopped into a bakery for macaroons and chocolate cannolis. Yum!

After our day in Carmel, we drove to our hotel, the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa, in Monterey and freshened up for dinner. Our hotel was right on the ocean and the views were amazing. We had dinner and cocktails at The Sardine Factory. Neil’s abalone bisque was Ah-mazing. Since they didn’t serve fried clams or oysters there, we found a fish market on the way back to the hotel and got a to-go bag. Neil was a good sport and tried one although I know he thought it was disgusting. We sat by the fire pit out on the deck and listened to the ocean and the sea lions talking to each other and called it a night.

Bright and early we drove on “the 17 mile drive” to Pebble Beach. The Stillwater Grille on Pebble Beach Golf Course is my FAVORITE place to eat brunch. Any excuse I can make to eat there is worth it. Although it was overcast and misty, the atmosphere and the food did not disappoint. I filled my belly with mimosas, eggs benedict and tons of crab claws among other things. 3 plates of food and 30 crab claws later, we were full and decided to walk along the course and take pictures by the ocean. We stopped in a couple of  little gift shops and bought a Pebble Beach coaster to add to our collection.

All in all, the weekend was perfect. It was just what I needed to reset and calm down. The night before we left, I had a panic attack and was extremely upset thinking about July 5th. This trip gave Neil and I some quality time alone to reconnect and recharge for the next year.

3 weeks and counting. Do they make a scared shitless emoji?

If you are new to my blog, Welcome! Please take a look at some older posts that tell my story about scoliosis. Scoliosis Sucks, Designer Camouflage, Making new Friends and Today was an Emotional Day are some really great posts that help tell my story and the severity of scoliosis I have. Please also email subscribe for updates!