reasons for jet lag

As do most vacas, my trip home to Florida went by way too quickly. Our two weeks were packed with family, friends, and lots of nautical fun – and I wouldn’t have had it any other way (unless an extension of a week… or three… was an option). While I’m still recovering from jet lag (one tough ole bird), I thought I would share a slight recap of our time in beautiful, sunny (for the most part) Florida.

Blue Wahoos game – Pensacola, Florida

Watermelon cake for my cousin’s birthday

Necessity for a day of swimming, floating and kayaking on the river

Pensacola Beach, Florida

Amazing Americana/nautical manicure

Early birthday celebration with my parents and Joost

One of my most favorite gifts (ever) – pretty sure I’m never taking it off

Until next time – tot ziens!

XX – Whitney

ocean air, salty hair

at the beach, life is different

time doesn’t move hour to hour

but mood to moment

we live by the currents

play by the tides

and follow the sun

– unknown

I might be a little biased, but you can’t find beaches more beautiful than the ones on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Like Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”

Until next time – I’ll be soaking up the sun.

XX – Whitney

boys and their planes

Born and raised in a small town outside of Pensacola, Florida, I grew up watching (and loving) the Blue Angels. Some of my favorite childhood memories include boat rides with family and friends to Destin, Panama City and Pensacola Beach to watch their spectacular shows. I was always (and still am) amazed at their precise, flawless and suspenseful maneuvers, that leave you thinking, “did they really just do that… in a F-18 jet?” Knowing my love for the Blues, Joost knew exactly where we’d be this past Saturday as soon as I got wind of a Dutch air show… And he knew exactly who had dibs on the Blues cap.

Not knowing what to expect, I was definitely in for a treat – seventeen countries were in attendance with their best pilots, aircrafts and tricks up their sleeves (some which made me ‘ooh’ and ‘awe’, while others I could watch with only one eye open due to the ‘dare devil’ stunts). Aircrafts ranged from a Finnish F-18 to the Dutch Apache helicopter (apparently this is the only Apache demo team in the world). Shows were nonstop from 9-5p, but that wasn’t the only entertainment. The grounds were packed with open aircrafts, obstacle courses, military-style face painting, simulators and much, much more (of course I loved the apparel stands – the best seller of the day had to be the flight suits for kids (so precious), as every little one seemed to be running around in them). There were also a lot of ‘demo stands’, which gave a closer look at the Air Force’s day-to-day operations, training (the wilderness, water and snow survival trainings – oh wow), equipment and weapons used. At the different stands, there were representatives from the Royal Netherlands Air Force to answer questions and provide personal insight on the subject – which I found to be super nice and a great way to make a connection.

To not leave any team out, below you’ll find all who were in attendance for the air show, along with the 150,000 spectators (special shout out to the RNLAF, Italian Air Force and French Air Force as your shows were my favorites! Oh, and can’t forget the Italian announcer, whom the crowd and myself loved) –

Hawker Hunter, DHHF

C-47, BBMF

Saab Viggen, Swedish AF

Bolkow 105, German Army

C-1301, Royal Danish AF

MI-24, Czech AF

Red Arrows, Royal Air Force

SU-22, Polish AF

Pilatus PC-7, Austrian AF

Curtiss P-40, Fighter Collection

MIG-15, Fundacja Polskie Orly

F-16, AH-64 Demo and Launch Air Power Demo, RNLAF

F-18 Hornet, Finnish AF

Frecce Tricolori, Italian AF

Saab Gripen JAS-39, Czech AF

Patrouille Suisse, Swiss AF

Ramex Delta, Frech AF

Spitfire Formation, BBMF/RNLAF

F-16, Turkish AF

Patrouille de France, French AF

Jet Formation, RNLAF

Happy 100th birthday, RNLAF and until next time – tot ziens!

XX – Whitney