The Travel Day I’ll Never Forget ✈ (Plus April Reads)

It’s April! This month’s newsletter includes a trip to Destin, Florida, a few of my favorite travel must-haves, book reviews from my current reading stack, and a little inspiration on building the traits you want most.

Let’s get started.

✈ Travel to Destin, Florida

Earlier this month, my husband and I took a trip to Destin, Florida. The beaches are stunning, and the restaurant scene is equally impressive — though popular spots fill up fast, so plan to eat early or be ready to wait. Here are a few favorites.

The Oyster House Bar is an experience in itself — cash only, with hundreds of dollar bills papering every nook and cranny. Rustic, loud, and absolutely worth a visit.

The Pancakery is a must for breakfast. The omelets rival the pancakes, which are genuinely exceptional — and the prices are refreshingly reasonable.

If you're looking for something more upscale, reserve a table at Beach Walk Café. Nestled inside the Henderson Park Inn, it's the perfect place to enjoy a sunset-drenched, five-star dinner. Impeccable service, outstanding food, and a beautiful atmosphere — a bit pricey, but absolutely worth it.

For an afternoon away from the beach, check out the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum — free to the public — a comprehensive exhibit of history and military technology. Fascinating and well worth the time.

Walking along the beach, we discovered one more fun spot: the Sandflea. The name may not inspire confidence (who likes sandfleas?), but it's a wonderful place to sit and take in the ocean views. One important heads-up: the Sandflea is only accessible from the beach. We learned the hard way that there's no street-side entry.

Have you been to Destin? What was your favorite find there? Reply and let me know.

📚 What I’m Reading (and Listening To)

Here are a few of my current reads and listens:

Finding Me — Viola Davis

A powerful and deeply personal memoir about resilience, identity, and finding your voice. This is not a light read, but it is honest and raw. Memoirs remind me how much there is to learn from other people’s stories.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Widow — John Grisham

A suspenseful whodunit from the master of legal thrillers. I listened to this one on audio, and the narrator’s voices and pacing really bring the characters to life. It was different than past Grisham novels, and I liked this one, but missed that thriller edge in books like The Firm. Still an entertaining read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros

I am not a fantasy book reader, but wanted to expand my reading horizons, so I took on Fourth Wing. First, I have to say this is an intense fantasy novel with strong themes and mature content. While it includes positive messages about consent and resilience, it’s probably best suited for adult readers. In other words, not for kids and may or may not be for you. There is strong language, violence, and sex. That said, while at times I found it to be a little dramatic, it’s still a pretty good thriller. I enjoyed the on-edge intensity, the creative world-building, the constant suspense, and interesting characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Silent Patient — Alex Michaelides

Several people reached out and told me I had to read this book, so I did. It was well-written, interesting, and full of great twists! This is a true psychological thriller with a gripping premise. For me, it was a quick read, which is always a sign of a good book. I recommend this one if you like thrillers.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

📚 What’s on My To-Be-Read List? (#TBRlist) I have lots of options – help me choose! What book do you recommend?

• The Deep Blue Good-By — John D. MacDonald

• Mystic River OR Gone, Baby, Gone – Dennis Lehane

• Body Double – Tess Gerritsen

• When You See Me – Lisa Gardner

• The Girl I Was – Jeneva Rose

• The Only One Left — Riley Sager

• I also have several books by Louise Penny and William Kent Krueger on my shelf.

What should I read next?  Just reply to this email—I love hearing what you’re reading!

Side note: Did you see Project Hail Mary? I listened to the audiobook and watched the movie—I loved both. What did you think?

✈ Why I Dislike the Atlanta Airport (& My Travel Must-Haves)

Speaking of travel, there’s one experience I’ll never forget…

In December of 2017, I was on a work trip, headed to Savannah, Georgia and had a stopover in Atlanta. It was around 1:00 PM. The other passengers and I had already boarded our plane and were waiting to take-off when we were told there was a delay. An hour later, we were asked to get off the plane.

There had been an elevator fire, which resulted in an airport-wide power outage and all flights were grounded. Everyone assumed this issue would be resolved quickly. But we were wrong.

Thousands of people filled the terminals. No power. No information or communication. Just waiting—and wondering what to do.

Around 7:00 p.m., we were told to evacuate the airport. No more flights were leaving that night.

I had no luggage. My phone battery was almost dead. I was one of 30,000 people trying to find transportation and a place to stay.

After standing in a taxi line for nearly two hours, I finally got on an overcrowded shuttle around 11:30 p.m.—people were literally sitting on top of each other. Pretty sure we were breaking several laws. That ride cost $22, cash only.

Around midnight, I arrived at my hotel and stood in another line for an hour and a half just to check in.

I hadn’t eaten all day. With no power in the airport, food options were limited—and cash-only. Like most people, I hadn’t planned for that.

The next morning, not knowing if I’d even be flying out, I got up early, found food, and headed back to the airport with thousands of others, hoping to get on a flight and locate my luggage.

It was chaos. A total nightmare—and a day that completely changed how I travel.

Now, I always bring:

• A portable power bank (Pro tip: get a bright color — I lost my black one at a hotel because it blended right into the wall. Fire-engine red is much harder to leave behind!)

• A printed boarding pass (if you’re using your phone for boarding passes, that’s great – unless your battery dies and there’s nowhere to charge.)

• Low Power Mode (I utilize this function on both my phone and watch)

• Snacks (always!)

• A small carry-on with essentials (medicine, very basic toiletries, and a hairbrush is nice)

• Cash

What I experienced was probably a once-in-a-lifetime situation—but I’ll never travel unprepared again.

Disclaimer: I’ve been through the Atlanta airport hundreds of times, and overall, it’s a great airport… there was just that one day.

I’d love to hear your travel story—email me at sandy@sandyclements.com.

✨ A Little Inspiration

Discipline isn’t a personality trait—it’s a decision.

So are gratitude, kindness, tenacity, and creativity.

These aren’t things we are born with; they’re practiced behaviors. If you want them, you develop them one choice at a time. They must be practiced—over and over—until they become your default.

Who we are, how we react to situations, and what we become is up to us.

Gratitude over anger. 

Effort over excuses. 

Progress over perfection. 

Learning over quitting. 

Clarity over chaos. 

Forward over familiar.

Peace over proving a point. 

Go after what you want to become. Practice until it becomes your default. You’ve got this!

❤ Asking a Favor

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