The Vacation

Callie Somers was a teacher in Athens, Georgia. She had been teaching for ten years and was reaching the ultimate danger to a lot of teachers, Teacher Burnout! Callie was teaching second grade and her class this year had some of the worst behavior problems in the whole grade level. She was at the point where she debated whether she could return to the classroom next year. Her administrators were ineffective, unsupportive, and refused to help her or any other teacher that had behavior issues in their classroom. It was a horrible existence for Callie or any other teacher in that position!

The school year ended, and Callie cried as she gathered her belongings and left the building. She hoped she would never have to return. Her finances were not in decent shape, and she knew that she could not just quit working. She had to have a job whether it was greeting customers at Wal-Mart or serving coffee daily at Starbucks. Callie knew her time at this school had ended, and she desperately needed another source of income.

Luckily, one of Callie’s best friends from college, Shelly, called her that evening. Callie cried on the phone and admitted things to her friend that she would not dare admit to others. Shelly listened without making any comments or offering any unsolicited advice. She knew Callie needed a break, a vacation. Shelly had called Callie to discuss a brochure she had come across and now sounded like the best time to approach the subject. She had this opportunity to stay in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for two weeks. Her aunt had a condominium there right on the beach and had offered it to Shelly for two weeks of the summer. Shelly knew this was the break that Callie needed, desperately!

Callie was dismissive at first, but the more Shelly mentioned the activities and the vacation itinerary, the more Callie found herself wanting to get away. It would be a chance for the friends to reconnect and spend quality time together. It sounded like the perfect vacation to Callie-horseback riding on the beach, swimming, shag lessons and a shag contest. It was the perfect beginning to a terrible ending!

Shelly arranged all the details and decided that she would meet Callie halfway and then let Callie follow her to the beach house. Both women were so excited about their vacation! Even though Shelly was a financial advisor, she understood how unhappy Callie was in her career. She knew her friend was lost and that something would become available, and her friend would find herself again. If anything, Shelly had faith and hopefully Callie would too.

The girls met outside of Columbia, South Carolina and ate lunch together. Then Callie followed Shelly to the condominium in Myrtle Beach. She was so excited to see the beach and all the young people celebrating the summer. For the first time, Callie had no thoughts about her previous school year or even her future. She disconnected from all the negativity and anxiety and decided to live in the moment. Why would she ruin this time for herself by dwelling on a situation she could not change and a future that has not happened yet?

The condominium was absolutely beautiful! It was a cute gray townhouse that stood on the dunes and about sixty feet from the waves to the ocean. It had a long dock with a ladder, a slide, and a boat house that held a huge pontoon boat and two jet skis. For the first time in what felt like forever, Callie smiled. She could feel all that negativity drain out of her body and it felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off her shoulders. She was unsure what to do first. She and Shelly parked and unloaded all their personal belongings. Both women were able to have a bedroom with a terrace that opened to the ocean.

Callie could hear the waves and feel the sea breeze on her face. It felt and sounded like heaven. This place had been calling her name all year, but it had fallen on deaf ears. She had been so bogged down by her situation that she had failed to listen. This was exactly what she needed!

Shelly was also impressed by her room. She opened the terrace doors to feel the ocean spray and breeze on her face. She knew she and Callie were in the right place. They were going to have an exciting time and hopefully, Callie’s luck would turn around and she would find where she needed to be to support herself and her future.

The girls unpacked their stuff and tried to get themselves acquainted with the condominium and the property. They went to the local grocery store and purchased everything they would need for their vacation. Then they went back to the condominium and put on their bathing suits and grabbed their towels so they could go for a quick, but relaxing swim. The ocean felt exhilarating! The women splashed around and enjoyed each other’s company and the waves of the ocean. It had been too long for them since they had spent time together just doing nothing.

The next morning. Shelly got up early and decided to go for a walk on the beach. She let her friend sleep in since her life had been so stressful. She knew Callie was overwhelmed and had been stressed for far too long and probably needed sleep. While she was walking on the beach, she saw something just sticking out from the shore. It was made up of different pastel colors and it was peaking up at her from the edge of the water as though it was meant just for her. Shelly ran over and picked it up. To her surprise, it was a huge seashell. She had never seen a seashell more perfect or more beautiful. She decided that she would keep it and show it to Callie.

When Shelly finished her walk, she returned to the condominium to find that Callie was just getting up and making coffee for both of them. She took out the seashell and showed it to Callie. Callie studied it and observed its colors and markings. She too thought the shell to be faultless in every way. She thought to herself, who would have thought anything in nature could be more beautiful?

Callie and Shelly made breakfast together and then packed their things to go to the beach. While they were there, they would go over the activities for the week.

They decided to go horseback riding at a ranch that was one mile from the beach. The ride included riding on trails that lead to the beach and then back to the ranch. Both girls were familiar riders and had ridden horses in the past. Their horseback riding activity was scheduled for Wednesday so they could attend Shag classes and enter the contest by the end of next week. Then they chose to spend the rest of their time at the beach and doing fun water activities with the pontoon boat and jet skis.

Both women wanted time to relax and read a book as well as time to have fun and try some different things. Shelly hoped her friend would discover how to relax and take the time to start enjoying her life again. No one should have to lose their identity or happiness because of a bad career choice. Everyone deserves a chance to be happy while earning a living, Shelly thought.

Finally, the women woke up Wednesday morning all relaxed from their couple of days just lounging on the beach. Time to enjoy a beautiful ride on horses and mingle with other people on vacation. They were both looking forward to horseback riding on the beach. Hopefully, they would meet some interesting people and find some other exciting activities to participate in while on vacation. The women drove to the ranch. The ranch hand was exceedingly kind and helped them saddle up their horses and the gear they would need for their ride. There were a group of people joining them on their adventure: a family and two single men that were close in age to Shelly and Callie.

Callie and Shelly chose to ride next to each other and even compete at times. They would see who could run the hills the fastest. They picked up some competition from the two men who also signed up for horseback riding. However, they slowed down when they approached the beach. It was a beautiful sight sitting in the saddle and just looking out at the ocean. Callie rode next to a man named Chuck and Shelly rode next to his friend, Cameron. They spent time talking and getting to know each other. Chuck was a realtor and was from the Myrtle Beach area. His friend, Cameron, was from Ellijay, Georgia and was visiting him for the summer. Callie had no expectations at this point because her relationships were also just as disappointing as her career. She just wanted to live in the moment and experience all that life had to offer. To her surprise, she and Chuck had a lot in common. They both enjoyed old movies or classics such as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. She also discovered that he liked adventure and didn’t seem to worry so much about the future as she did. He offset her weaknesses and built up her strengths. Callie was immediately drawn to him not just because of the physical attraction, but also because she could sense an adventurous side to him. Something that somehow, she allowed to die within herself over the years. She was too young to give up an adventurous life and to settle for the mundane of everyday life!

Shelly, on the other hand, was the adventurous one. She never shied away from danger. She had gotten her scuba diving license five years ago and would take trips to the Florida Keys to explore sunken Spanish ships. She and Cameron also clicked right away. There was an immediate chemistry between the two of them as well. Cameron had also recently acquired his scuba diving license and the two of them talked about the future to explore other ships around Bermuda and Aruba that could contain several types of treasure. They also shared a love of history. Cameron was an attorney in Ellijay, Georgia. He mainly managed estates and wills because he chose not to pursue family law and was not interested in chasing accidents and personal injury cases. He liked to keep his law practice simple but chose to live in the day-to-day adventures in his personal life. He loved roller coasters and was an adrenaline junkie like Shelly.

Everything was ideal for Shelly, Callie, and the two acquaintances they met on their horseback riding adventure. The couples were intrigued with each other and wanted to get to know each other better. Cameron and Chuck invited the women out to dinner that night. Of course, Shelly and Callie agreed. They decided to go to a seafood restaurant that Chuck knew well and would portray the best seafood that Myrtle Beach had to offer. When they got to the restaurant, the men let the women order the wine for their meal. Shelly and Callie chose Moscato which Cameron and Chuck were eager to try. The Moscato was light just like the conversation during the meal. The women mentioned the Shag lessons and the contest to the men. Chuck was already familiar with how to Shag since he had grown up in that area. So while they ate their appetizers, their meal, and even enjoyed some of the best key lime pie that Myrtle Beach had to offer, they discussed the Shag lessons and decided they would enter the contest together.

The first half of the day was lazy and relaxing for both Shelly and Callie. They grazed while soaking up rays of sun on the beach. They also took out the jet skis just for some excitement for their day. It was a blast for the women to figure out how to ride the waves on a jet ski. If they did not hit the waves exactly right, the ocean would tip them way over to the side. It would make them laugh, but also make them feel like they were about to fall off. Then about 3:00 pm, the women packed up their belongings and went back to the condo. They needed plenty of time to prep for their first Shag lesson with their dates.

Shelly and Callie got dressed and made sure they wore the appropriate attire to Shag. Then the doorbell rang, and Callie opened the door to let Cameron and Chuck in. They all looked at each other and complimented each other on their Shag attire. It was perfect for their upcoming activity!

Chuck drove the couples to the Shag studio. They met the dance instructor and paired up with their partners. The music was fun, but Callie and Shelly felt a little out of place. Neither one of them had tried to Shag before. Chuck had the skills and Cameron had the ability to dance and he picked up the dance steps easily. Callie and Shelly, on the other hand, had two left feet. They were tripping over themselves, but their dance partners were very patient with them. Chuck continued to practice with Callie and help her slowly learn the steps. Cameron tried the same approach with Shelly. They had a wonderful time, but Callie and Shelly needed a lot more practice.

The next day, Chuck and Cameron decided to join the women on the beach. They played music from their iPod and practiced the dance steps. They were convinced that they would help get their partners ready for the dance contest that was about one week away.

Each day, the couples would meet at the beach and even in the condominium to practice their dance steps in addition to going to Shag classes at night. Callie and Shelly were improving with each practice. They might do well at the Shag contest. Thank goodness that Chuck and Cameron were very patient with them and took the time to slow down the dance steps until the women could catch on and follow their lead.

When the women would get frustrated, Chuck and Cameron would suggest another activity like going out on the pontoon boat or jet skis to take their mind off the competition. Callie was falling for Chuck, and he was falling for her. Shelly and Cameron got along well and had chemistry, but they were not progressing quite as quickly as the other couple. Chuck and Callie had a connection, and it could turn out to be a permanent one for them. Their friendship was growing as well as their physical attraction to each other.

The last night of dance practice, Callie was very nervous. She wanted to do her best for Chuck, and she knew the dance steps, but there were a couple of times that she tripped over her on two feet. Chuck pulled her outside and gazed into her eyes. She found herself frozen in time, not thinking about the competition, her mistakes at dance practice, her future, or anything else. Callie was so focused on Chuck and as he led in to kiss her, she gladly reciprocated his lead. They kissed slowly at first and then more passionately as the moment progressed. Her heart belonged to him and his heart to her. How could this be happening so quickly, but so surely at the same time? Callie had never felt this way about a man before. She had felt the attraction and the lust, even the longing to fall in love. However, Callie was head over heels in love with Chuck. There was no going backwards from this feeling. She did not know what it was going to be or if they would make it to the altar, but she only wanted to feel what was happening in the present.

When Shelly and Cameron walked out the door and saw their friends at this time and moment, they also knew that this was real. These two were meant for each other and there was no denying it. They also fed off the moment and allowed their friends’ attraction to affect them. They felt the chemistry which led them into a long, passionate kiss.

The wonderful night ended.

The next day the couples spent the morning at the beach and then after lunch they decided to take the pontoon boat out to relax. They had time to spare because the Shag contest would begin at 7:30. No more practicing and no more stress! For the first time, Callie sat on the deck of the boat with Chuck and just relaxed. There was no need for conversation at this point because they had the sun and the waves to help soothe their nerves. Shelly and Cameron, however, decided to take a swim. They dove off the boat and played in the water. They were joined by a pod of dolphins frolicking and splashing around the couple. What a magical moment for Shelly and Cameron! They just enjoyed each other’s company and the entertainment that the dolphins provided. It could not have been a better afternoon for both couples. They were able to do what made them happy and nothing could top that!

The couples decided to take the boat back at @4:30. They put the boat back in the boat house and packed up their things so they could get something to eat and then start getting ready for the Shag contest. Both couples had practiced so much that they knew their dance steps by heart. They had chosen the song they wanted to dance to at the contest. Their costumes were ready, and they were ready. Chuck and Cameron ate quickly and decided that they would go back to their place to get ready for the dance contest. They would be back to pick the women up at 7:00.

Callie and Shelly put on their costumes and had a glass of champagne to celebrate their success with learning their Shag routine. They were oblivious to the nerves before the performance because they had practiced enough, learned their routine, and met two of the most amazing men ever! They both understood that they had truly been blessed and no matter what happened, they would win. They may not win the contest, but they have accomplished so much more than so many other people.

Finally, Chuck and Cameron arrived to escort the women to the dance contest. They listened to music on the way there and reminisced about their wonderful afternoon and all the things they had experienced together. Chuck mentioned to Callie that his father was on the board of education in Myrtle Beach and a job had just opened that she should apply for since she had experience and the right credentials. An academic coach position had just been posted and Callie had the knowledge and accreditation for this position. She had a dual major in elementary education and curriculum and instruction. This position would be ideal for her. She told Chuck that she would give it some thought, but she just wanted to get through the night without looking ahead.

Both couples arrived at the contest. They chatted with the other couples and watched as they performed their Shag routine. Each couple was unique, and their routine was outstanding. Then it was Cameron and Shelly’s turn to perform. They walked out together and stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Then the music began. Shelly followed Cameron’s lead. They performed all their moves impeccably. One time, Shelly got tickled at Cameron because he winked at her and kissed her on the cheek. Their routine could not have been more superb, Callie thought. Then it was her turn to dance with Chuck. The couple walked out to the middle of the floor. Callie’s heart froze for just a minute and then their song began. She could not focus on anyone other than Chuck. The world except for where they were at this moment stopped. They maintained eye contact and Callie followed Chuck’s lead. Nothing was more important to her than this exact moment. Not only was she well versed in the Shag routine, but she had also fallen for this upstanding gentleman who swept her off her feet. The other couples noticed the chemistry between Callie and Chuck. There was no denying it or how well they danced together.

Finally, their song ended and so did the Shag contest. Both couples wished this dance could have lasted forever. Now, they had to wait on the judges to score each couple and decide on the winners. First place went to one couple that had participated in the contest two years in a row. Second place went to Callie and Chuck and third place went to Shelly and Cameron. Their skills paid off! They won a trophy and dinner at Myrtle Beach’s finest restaurant.

What was disappointing was that Shelly and Callie had to leave on Sunday. They had two more nights and one more day to spend with these men that they had grown very fond of, and they wanted to make the most of their time together.

Chuck was not going to let Callie leave, though. He was more than just fond of her; he was in love. She was the one he had searched for his whole life and now that he had found her, he was not going to let her go. Chuck being a realtor knew of a property that Callie could move in to so that she could share a life with him. At dinner, he let her know what he had found in hopes that she would stay there. It did not take much convincing for Callie also knew that Chuck was the man she had been searching for and she never realized that a two-week vacation could lead to so many positive changes. She could not believe her good fortune in finding herself, her soulmate, and a new promising career.

As for Shelly and Cameron, they will continue to see each other. They are also falling in love and want to pursue their relationship because it is worth keeping.

This two-week vacation has been a time of relaxation, endless possibilities, and adventure for two couples with the possibilities of a life-long commitment.