Beach Trip Shenanigans: 4 Ways My Getaway with My College Roommate Will Be Totally Different Now

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Hey friends! So, my old college buddy Jamie and I are gearing up for a beach trip. This time, though, we’re bringing our kids along and leaving our husbands at home. We had a serious chat about logistics that started with finding babysitters and somehow ended with us discussing wine choices. When we first planned this trip a few months back, we didn’t stop to think about the mini army we’d be bringing with us. I mean, we’ve shared countless beach adventures over the last two decades—so what could possibly go wrong? Oh right, we now have five kids between us, ranging from ages 1 to 6. Let’s just say our excitement quickly turned into a reality check. Here’s how things are shaping up:

1. Naptime

Back in college, beach naps happened for one of two reasons: either we were nursing a hangover or we’d had too many cocktails too fast. Now, naps are a whole different ball game. They’re like the holy grail of parenting toddlers. Forget about peaceful snoozes; we’ll be lucky if we get a solid half-hour to sit in silence. If we manage to sneak in a drink or two, we’ve got a solid window of responsibility to tackle from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. So we’ve decided our babysitter should show up at 3.

2. Food

All of our college beach trips kicked off with a Publix run where we’d stock up on essentials: beer, water, bread, and snacks galore. This time, I’m bracing myself to drop around $400 at Costco on tiny packs of goldfish, veggie straws, ZBARs, and Capri Suns. And let’s be real—those snacks will disappear in about two minutes flat!

3. Entertainment

During our college years, we entertained ourselves with anything live—music, TV shows, you name it. We’d wake up, reminisce about the night before, and hit the beach with our essentials. Now, our idea of entertainment includes a whole suitcase full of cartoons, bubbles, chalk, a few princess dresses, and maybe even a karaoke machine. We’re pretty sure applying sunscreen will become an Olympic event, and I bet we’ll have an audience cheering us on!

4. Drinks

In our college days, we drank a ton of beer and took plenty of shots. If we were feeling fancy, we’d mix vodka with V8 and call it a Bloody Mary. Nowadays, we opt for better wine (definitely helps with the hangover recovery) but in much smaller amounts. A mimosa here and there probably won’t hurt, but we’ll still be feeling it the next day.

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So, as we gear up for this beach getaway, it’s clear that things have changed quite a bit since our carefree college days. But hey, we’re ready to embrace the chaos and make some new memories!