After finishing my dietetic internship in June, my family planned a trip with some extended family in the Outer Banks in North Carolona. OBX is one of my all-time favorite vacation spots for a few reasons:
It’s private.
I looooove that there’s hardly anyone else on the beach when I’m in the Outer Banks. This year, my family was in Nags Head, which is next to Kill Devil Hills and close to Kitty Hawk. We rented a fairly large house for all of us to share, which had its own pool and deck that took us out to the ocean. Every morning I spent some time sitting out watching the waves, reflecting on things and praying. It was amazing. I really appreciated that we weren’t constantly surrounded by loud people or boardwalk noise.
It’s beautiful.
Throughout the week, we went paddle boarding, kayaking, mini golfing, bike-riding, visited a sand dune, and walked to all the local shops. There was so much to do outside, and it was so great to spend so much time with family and away from our phones [aside from these photos ; )]
The food.
Almost every night we cooked at our place, and the food did not disappoint. We also had some acai and visited a local seafood restaurant for an all-you-can-eat buffect, which was amaaaazing!
What was so special about this vacation wasn’t necessarily the fun things we did or where we were. It was because for the honest first time I was able to be present with the people around me and push aside any distracting thoughts about food or my body. That small sentence is pretty underwhelming when you read it, but it means so much to me. I can’t tell you how many summers I spent being anxious about how I looked or what I would eat or any other random and ultimately irrational but distracting thought. It ruined a lot of dinners and days because I wasn’t able to appreciate where I was or who I was with. This time around, I gave myself grace. It’s taken a LONG time, but I appreciate my body. I feed it the foods it wants. I move in ways that feel good. And ultimately I think of it less because I’m focused on what else is going on around me.
I want that for everyone — that’s why I created this blog in the first place: to help you make peace with your body and establish a healthy relationship with food. So you can spend time doing what you love and being with those you love. If you’re struggling with body image or are not sure how to eat, I know how you feel! It’s hard. It’s a process — one I will continually work on. And in our thin-obsessed culture it’s even harder for people in larger bodies. And I’m sorry for that and always learning how to be empathetic and supportive of people with natural body sizes that aren’t accepted by our culture.
