POV: You Didn't Go to Cancun for Spring Break

So, we’ve been back from spring break for a few weeks now. Am I the only one who feels like it went by way too fast? I did not have enough time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the little baby beach town I went to in Florida—Port St. Joe.

You read that right: I was one of—what feels like— the few people who went to the panhandle. Not Puerto Rico, not the Dominican Republic, and not Mexico. Don’t get me wrong, though. If I had gotten my passport in time, I would’ve absolutely, 100%, no doubt about it soaked up the Caribbean or Central American sun with my girls and my boyfriend!

Seeing as that didn’t happen, and I was (and still am) perfectly fine with it, I thought I would share my day-to-day life as a tourist in PSJ… like PCB, but it’s Port St. Joe. I think sharing my thoughts on the time I spent here will underscore the simple things in life, like our trip to the adorable PSJ, make up the bulk of it. Make it special.

Day 1: 03/04/24

The first day in PSJ was not only beautiful but also so freaking fun. Everybody woke up around 9:30 a.m. and decided to go for a morning run around Barefoot Cottages, the neighborhood we stayed in, to start the day off strong. It’s funny because we didn’t run again the entire week. The closest thing I brought to running shoes was Adidas Sambas, so you can imagine how happy I was when we got home and immediately slipped into our bikinis. The group made themselves BORS (blackout rage Stanley’s) and we all packed up the car and drove to the beach.

The first day is always the best. Every seashell you find is the prettiest. You’re not sunburnt yet. The seagulls haven’t bothered you enough to start chasing them away. The girls— Audrey, Holland and Pace— sunbathed while my boyfriend, Ian, and I went for a long walk. We discovered that we actually do like long walks on the beach. He and I were stopped by some strangers who asked us where we traveled from, and we learned that they were Auburn fans. Before you ask, no—I didn’t kick sand in their faces. They were actually so sweet, and they suggested that we explore Cape San Blas during our stay. More on that later…

The day ended with sunset pictures on the beach and homemade chicken fajitas. I could not complain.

Day 2: 03/05/2024

Day two was… a lot. It was one of the only rainy days of the week, so instead of being inside all day, I encouraged the group to go to the little strip of shops on Reid Avenue in downtown PSJ. It was raining very lightly when we left. Then it wasn’t. It was monsooning by the time we explored the second shop and everybody was freezing cold. I couldn’t remember the last time I got rained on that badly, so I embraced it eventually. After a while, we all packed into a cantina, Quatro Locos, and ate chips and queso while we dried off.

We decided that tonight would be game night since we couldn’t be paid to go out in that weather again, and we stayed up late playing Spoons and Clue. (It was Miss Scarlet in the study with the candlestick.)

Day 3: 03/06/24

We explored Windmark Beach on this day, which we thankfully had access to because I met a resident of the Windmark neighborhood while I was working at an Atlanta Apparel Mart. Life lesson: Always be kind because you never know who might let you use their neighborhood pool and private beach access on your vacation. Windmark was super cool because it was a little community of rental homes with ice cream shops, restaurants and retail stores included! While we were here, Ian and I scoped out a restaurant where we wanted to have a date night to celebrate half a year of being together.

After the beach, the girls passed out, and Ian and I got ready for our special night at a beautiful seafood spot called The View. We left just in time to watch the sunset on the wide, wooden bridge that leads to Windmark Beach, and headed up to The View for dinner. He got the View Burger and I got the Blackened Shrimp Salad. It was so happy. It was perfect.

Day 4: 03/07/24

Remember those strangers who stopped me and Ian on our beach walk? And how they told us to see Cape San Blas before we leave? Well, we did! Three words: SO. FREAKING. BEAUTIFUL. Driftwood decorated almost every foot of this short-shored beach. Tens of people were out catching fish. Don’t even get me started on the perfect shells. All of us girls went shell hunting so we could make necklaces, hair clips, and other beach-themed crafts when we got back home.

After I was satisfied with my shells, Ian and I saw a mound of rocks on the shore, and he quickly jumped at the opportunity to take “cool pics for his Instagram.” He was really excited to get these pictures. It was one of the only things he talked about leading up to the trip. I took more pictures than he ever needed in this one spot, and then it was my turn!

We went shopping for souvenirs at Beach Planet after the beach, and all the girls got matching Cape San Blas sweatshirts. Then, we headed home to make our seashell crafts in our new Florida beach merch. Ian made s’mores cookies for dessert, and everything was right in the world.

Day 5: 03/08/24

Suddenly, it was our last full day in PSJ. We wanted one last beach day before we hit the road back to Athens, so we drove west toward Mexico Beach as our last hurrah. The area was so stinking cute, but the weather just stunk. The sun was out, but the wind was insane. I’m the type of person to be cold when it’s 70 degrees, so me and sea level with heavy winds is not a good mix. I was fully bundled up in pants and a hoodie (and under a blanket) and still cold. And painfully sunburnt. And a little tired.

I think we were there for 20 minutes total before we all decided to go home. Some of us napped (me), and some of us didn’t (everyone else), but we all had to start getting ready around 5:00 p.m.for our dinner reservation at The White Marlin. It was one of the nicest beach restaurants I’d ever been to. We all sat on their gorgeous outdoor patio, but the wind and unprecedented rain soon sent us indoors. Regardless, their Brown Butter Scallops were delicious, and thankfully, the weather calmed down enough for me and Ian to get a cute picture on the patio.

This week was genuinely so healing for me. There wasn’t a single thing I felt like I missed out on in this quaint beach town. We met nice people, played fun games, ate good food, saw cool places, and grew closer as a group. PSJ was so fun just the way it was, and I didn’t have to catch a flight or have bottomless daiquiris to have a good time on break. No shade to the people who did. Just sun. So, if you ever need a quiet place to escape to, let it be Port St. Joe. Love her well and she will love you back. I am the proof!

Strike Out,

Madeline Jankowski

Editor: Caroline Kostuch

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POV: You Didn't Go to Cancun for Spring Break

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