The Austin Life: Weekend Getaway

On Thursday I arrived to the sunshine and heat of Tampa Bay, Florida. This was my second trip in 6 months, but I'm not spoiled. The first trip was to help Chris celebrate his 40th birthday and this trip was to celebrate our anniversary.

Friday Chris had to work, which left me the day to venture out. I ran to the nearby beach again finding it so unbearably hot! I had a headache all day from my morning run. Seriously, I was soaked with sweat by the time I reached the end of the first block. Seriously, people in Tampa do not need to go on one of those detox diets, they just need to walk across the street! Detox, check! After my run and shower, I sweated it own down at the pool, mostly by myself, until I could not tolerate the heat anymore. That says something (it was HOT!).

I had researched a bit since my last trip on things to do in and around Tampa. So, when Chris arrived back from work on Friday, he changed his clothes (a little, he put on shorts) and we went to visit St. Pete's Beach. We paid a small parking fee (I believe it was $10 a day or $1.50 an hour) and set off. The beach was pretty quiet, especially compared to the spring breakers at Clearwater Beach, Florida, on my last trip in April. It was sunny, warm and pretty. This beach was not as nice as the beach in Clearwater, but I liked it none the less. It was gorgeous! There was a bit more seaweed and it was not as clean, but it was a beach. Chris and I walked a bit and talked (about his crazy work) before settling down in the sand. Oh, the beautiful, peaceful sounds of the ocean. LOVE IT! Really, Chris did not have to do much convincing to get me to move to Florida. The beach really speaks for itself (but the housing market is less than desirable). At night, Chris took me to a mall near his hotel with high end stores. I was thinking the entire time, "I do not fit in here. Really, there are not any stores that I would ever shop in. Where am I going to buy clothes. Oh yeah, online." They did have a really cool running store there that I could have shopped in forever. I made a note to myself to go there next time (see, I was already assuming I would return) and pick up a pair of their cool running shoes and glowing running gear.

Saturday we decided to take a little 1 hour road trip to Sarasota, Florida and visit 2011's Top US Beach, Siesta Key Beach. Wow...this beach is amazing! The sand is so soft it is like playing in powered sugar. Chris and I walked and walked and walked until I just did not think I could walk anymore. We selected some shells, splashed in the water, talked more work (ugh), before stopping for a water break and to lay on the beach. The sunscreen? Well, I forgot it back in the car. And, after all of that walking, I did not want to walk back and get it. BIG mistake...HUGE. But, I figured I would recover from a little burn. It was just so pretty and peaceful. We stayed nearly all day. If you ever visit, pack a cooler and a beach umbrella and plan to stay all day. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Upon our return, we visited New Tampa. I was not impressed. New Tampa was full of tract housing, questionable areas, and swampy roads (we did see deer and wild pigs, though). It was far from where Chris worked, too, ruling it out as a place we would potentially live in. We had selected Best NY Pizza for dinner. It sounded good and had good reviews. It was dark and we could not find this place anywhere. We were starving after our long day in the sun. We finally found the place and their sign lights were not on. We would have never found it if we had not called. Frustrating! Oh, and the pizza was HORRIBLE! Bring on the Zios anytime. And, I have had NY pizza and that was not NY pizza!

Sunday brought rain, lots and lots of rain. When it rains in Florida, it really rains. We were fine with a little rain as we were spent from being out and frying in the sun the day before. It did eventually clear up, and Chris took me to the other mall. It is funny to see all the places Chris does venture out to. Funny to me, I guess, because he is such a homebody. Kinda nice to see him stepping out of his comfort zone (or WAY OUT in this case). This mall had more variety, but I still did not see myself ever shopping there. We had to end the day at the beach.

Monday, my day alone. Chris left before sunrise to work. Boo hoo. I went on another HOT HOT run to the beach, showered, went to the pool to sit in the shade (still babying my sunburned abdomen and shoulders), showered, and then finished my books series, depressed that I would have nothing to do on the flight home. Chris flew in the door just in time to drive me to the airport. I hate good byes. I think next time, if there ever is a next time, I will go home with Chris just so I don't have to say good bye.

It was a wonderful weekend, even if there was a bit of stressful tension in the air. At least the stress was not between us. I support Chris in whatever he decides to do. And, Tampa is not a bad place to be stuck working. I mean, there are worse places, right? After all, we got to spend a wonderful weekend together someplace that we would never have selected ourselves. For that, I am thankful.