So normally, I’d advise against making friends online and meeting them in person BUT, I did it anyways. I met Kayla in a Facebook group for photography I think? We’d been talking for well over a year when we started talking about her flying to North Carolina so we could hang out! AND SHE DID IT. Like it was something we always talked about but weren’t sure if it would ever happen.
THANKS, INTERNET.
Since she was coming to me, I wanted to make sure we did things that were fun for her on vacation, but also kinda cool for me since it would more of a staycation. I let her make a lot of the decisions. LOL.
Mountains or Beach?
Being in North Carolina, we have the best of both worlds. We can go to the mountains, the beach, a big city, or the middle of nowhere. That was our first step. Kayla wanted to go to the beach, so that’s where we started!
What events are going on in the area?
We looked and searched and googled to no end looking for different events and things happening the weekend/week she’d be here and we chose what we wanted to participate in.
What is there to see in the area?
Just like when you plan any other trip, figure out what there is to see and do in the area. Even if you’re from there or have been a million times already, dig deeper! You’re bound to find something you have yet to do.
Where to eat.
Kayla’s priority was food. Seafood, donuts, tacos, etc. So we planned for different restaurants to eat at, and where to get our coffee, breakfast, etc.
What beaches to go to?
I’m familiar-ish with the Wilmington area, so I knew exactly where to go and where to take her!
Find a place to stay.
We rented an Airbnb for 3 nights right between the beach and the downtown area, so it was perfect!
Priorities?
Since we’re both artsy/bloggers/photographers, something we wanted more than anything was good photo ops, and that’s what we literally hunted for while we were out and about! Which was SO much fun! We’re both way wayyyy too used to people getting annoyed with us when we want to stop for a photo, so being together was perfect. We stopped a million times and we were fine with it.
Overall, our staycation/vacation was perfect! I’m so glad we finally got to meet in person and spend time together and get to know each other even more!
Follow her @kaylalajean on instagram, & @emeraldtidephotography on Facebook
This article by Kayleigh originally appeared on wildlightandlush.com.