Home away from Home

Kendra Wozniak
AP Lang 6th

Every since I was little, no matter what state I lived in, my family always went to Hilton Head Island for vacation.

When we arrived in HHI, we would stock up on food at Piggly Wiggly market. And get some piggy wiggly t-shirts while we were at it. Then we were off to the Marriott Grande Ocean, my home away from home.

Every morning there was aqua aerobics. My mom, sister, and I would go at 8am. All of the people would stare at my sister and I when we walked in and wondered “What are these little kids doing here?” Our counselor would play 70's and 80's and 90's music while grandparents and older people doing the aqua aerobics would sing and dance along.  But despite the stares at aqua aerobics, my sister and I still go back every time.

During the day, there was always a sand castle contest, a scavenger hunt, and bingo.

The scavenger hunts were a blast. My family has played it so many times to the point where I already know half the items needed on the list. Like a McDonald's receipt and a New York Quarter.

For the sand castle contest, we did a theme each year for creativity and a challenge. One year we did a map of the island and another year we did the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial was my favorite. That was the week of the fourth of July.

Bingo was the best game of all. Each year my family won something new. The best was the neon yellow beach towel. But we also won mugs, key chains, hats, candy, wrist bands, and tote bags. With five people in my family, the odd were in our favor for winning something in bingo.

By the end of our week trip, the counselors knew my family members by name. That's how many times we won these games. We won almost every single prize imaginable to the point where the counselors helping with the games felt bad for the other families that lost all the time, that those families got our pizza coupon. And that pizza was supposed to be ours. Our free pizza. Gone.

Last summer, we went parasailing over the Hilton Head Harbor. My sister and I were in the same parasail together. It was terrifying going up, but when in the sky, the view was extravagant. I had never seen the most beautiful view of the island before. It is a view I will never forget. The scariest part of parasailing was on the way down. The drivers of the boat wanted to dip us into the water. Most groups had gotten dipped, but just up to their ankles or just the tips of their toes touched the water. But not my sister and me. We were dipped just a little bit higher than everyone else. We were soaked waist down. We screamed at the top of our lungs. The drivers thought it was funny. They wanted to hear us scream. They got their wish.

At night, my family would bike through the lush trails in Sea Pines to Hilton Head Harbor. We would climb the lighthouse, eat dinner looking out in the night harbor sky, and listen to Greg Russell sing under his old willow tree. Then some nights we would bike to the other side of the island to the Salty Dog Cafe and eat blue colored cookie dough ice cream.

My childhood was surrounded by this paradise island. Sixteen years of memories that will continue for years to come at my home away from home, Hilton Head Island.