As you know, the Gypsies love a good tradition. My family and I have been meeting on Tybee Island for the past five years. Tybee Island is a small island off the coast of Georgia where simple life meets the beach. A place without chain hotels, where you bike instead of drive, and everyone says hello. It’s a slower pace life style known as “tybee time.”
We left our friends in New Orleans and boarded an overnight bus trip that landed us on the beach. 

   

   

 We were greeted by the sound of ocean waves and salt air and most importantly my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and mom. Our plan was to spend the next week chillin’ – something we don’t take lightly on the road. We were ready to spend time with family and embrace the simple life.
Prior to our arrival we contacted a few of our favorite places on the island who could use some volunteers. We were invited to visit The American Legion Post 154 to join them for their weekly meeting and dinner.

   

 

Around dinner time we biked to the legion and were greeted with local smiles and a home cooked dinner. After dinner we attended the ladies auxiliary meeting. Every meeting they start with the pledge of allegiance and a prayer that is shared out loud in unison. During prayer I channeled my grandparents. My Pop had been a member of his local American Legion Post 86 in Newton, New Jersey. He took pride of his membership and often ended his days in his permanent seat at the pub exchanging war stories with his fellow veterans.
During tonight‘s meeting the auxiliary ladies made time in their agenda to have the gypsies stand up and tell our story. We also learned about the “Ban the Bag” campaign on the island. Locals met tonight to protest the single use of plastic bags on the island. Many out of towners enjoy the island on the weekends. On any given summer weekend there could be up to 30,000 cars on the island. Come Monday the beaches are sadly left with garbage, mainly plastic bags. After the meeting we met Wanda, the mayor pro-term. She had suggested the gypsies join in the beach clean up at the pier.

  
The next morning the gypsies, along with our gypsy mom and dad, biked to the pier. We spent the morning picking up garbage and left with the warm feeling of success in our hearts. 
    

    

   
 

We have spent so many years on this very pier it only seemed right that we left it clean for the day’s beach goers. Next year you can be sure to find us cleaning Tybee’s beaches and making a stop to visit our new friends at the American Legion.