myrtle beach

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Dream Come True!

Today I filled a life long dream of holding a baby tiger, and I did it without having to travel to some far, exotic land. Months and months ago, I pinned a photo of baby tigers to my Bucket List board on Pinterest, including a caption that explained how someday I needed to hold one. A random stranger commented and told me there was in fact a place that I could do it right here in Coastal Carolina.

Myrtle Beach Safari is pretty much the coolest thing ever.  They have a 50-acre plot of land where you can personally interact with tigers, wolves, falcons, a variety of monkeys, an elephant, and even a liger! At $240 per ticket, we decided to wait on that, but the photo session with the cubs was more reasonable, if not cheap… and totally worth the few moments we got to play with the little tykes!

All the proceeds go to sustaining the wildlife and funding efforts to conserve and protect endangered species, so I feel like every penny was well spent. I DO plan to go on a full safari tour next season, once I can (hopefully) relax our new budget. But seriously – I was just so excited!! You can totally tell what a crazy person I am in the photo – not that most flattering shot, with my crazy eyes and tensed-excited body langauge and bulging forehead vein!! Chuck, on the other hand, looks suave and chill as a cucumber… and the tiger cubs… well… they truly just steal the show 🙂

Of course, I couldn’t wait to get back to my very own little cublet back at home. I may be crazy for wildcats, but Miss Bean will always be my one and only ❤

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My Carolina Bucket List

In the process of learning to bloom where I’m planted and embrace my new home, I have made a list of things I want to do while we live in this area, big and small. For the things that seem insignificant – or like I could do that anywhere – they make the list mostly because it’s way cheaper to do it down here… and I have the time I never had before. 🙂

– Attend a few ballroom dancing classes. I’d love to focus on swing and tango. Better yet, Chuck is actually open to this idea!

– Hit up Myrtle Beach Safari down in South Carolina. Just 2-ish hours away, and I get to fulfill my lifelong dream of holding a baby tiger!! OMG.

– Eat at the one authentically French restaurant I’ve found in the entire Wilmington to Jacksonville area, Caprice Bistro. It’s not cheap, but I have yet to find a bad review, and it’s on the riverfront. Bien sur, c’est bon!

– Road trip to Charleston, SC to take the scandalous ”Dark Side of Charleston – Rated R” tour – or any of the ghost tours, for that matter. I briefly visited Charleston once, for a wedding this past November, and I must go back! Oh, and I love scandal. And ghost tours.

– Go shootin’. Seriously, I’m married to a Marine, and I’ve never been to a shooting range!

– Take a romantic and luxurious B&B getaway with Chuck in Savannah, Georgia…just for a weekend. Like here or here or even here. Gahhh. Or maybe here. Then, I’ll hunt down some Paula Deen comfort food. Yum!

– Girls’ trip to Raleigh. I hear it’s fun, artsy, and the shopping is pretty amazing. And around here, let’s face it – I am truly shopping deprived.

That’s my current list, but I’m fairly certain it will grow as I learn more about what the area has to offer. I’ve been feeling so much more positive lately (the new job + arrival of summer helps!) and just ready to take things in stride. I have a tendency to complain, and then leave a place/situation, only to look back and realize it was great and that I got so much out of it. We’ve got at least another year here, so I plan to take full advantage of it!