Close your eyes and imagine if you will . . . blue skies and warm temperatures. Now, picture yourself in a beach chair, an unbrella stuck in the sand behind you, a good book resting in your lap, your toes buried in the sand and the vast ocean spread out before you while that perfume of tangy salt air is begging to permeate your skin. This is what I experienced a few months ago and I have to tell you, it was nothing short of heavenly.
Growing up in Oklahoma City and then in Omaha, Nebraska, I wasn’t anywhere close to the beach or the ocean. Years and years ago, the closest I came to living near the beach was in Omaha. There was a park called Peony Park and inside, nestled among the thrilling rides, the noisy midway, and the sweet smell of the cotton candy stalls, was a man-made beach. It was fabulous! I remember how my friends and I were there daily during the summers before it closed ~ lying there in the sand, our bodies glistening from an over abundance mixture of baby oil & iodine and the sun turning our skin a deep shade of golden brown, leaving me with a healthy smattering of freckles. There we were, without a care in the world, surrounded by boys and blaring music, and we thought we were in heaven. Being 17-18 years old, we were in our own heaven.
It’s funny to me that not growing up near a beach, it’s the beach that holds the power to settle and soothe me. The instant I smell that ocean air and the balmy breeze hits my face, the second I can hear those powerful waves crashing on shore, I can slowly feel my body begin to breathe and relax.
From where I am, the beach is, give or take a few minutes, a 2 hour drive. This certain beach trip had us heading to Carlsbad. We got on the 10 (early) and headed west. Now, I hate the 10. Actually, I hate all the freeways in California. People drive like bats out of hell, weaving in and out 4-5 lanes of traffic at 85 mph while texting or talking on their cell phones and basically, not paying attention to what might be going on around them. We weren’t even out of the valley when we came upon an accident in the east bound lanes of the 10. Five fire trucks, 9 highway patrol cars and Lifeflight. And yes, I counted. Traffic was at a complete standstill. People were actually out of their cars, milling around in the median, talking on their phones or trying to see what was going on up ahead. My first thought was that I hoped no one had died but with Lifeflight there, you know that more than likely, someone has some serious injuries. My next thought, after seeing traffic at a complete standstill was, “Now, that would suck if you had to go pee!” A mile and a half up the road, traffic was still at a standstill. Welcome to California! *shakes my head*
Two hours and 10 minutes later, we hit our destination ~ Carlsbad State Beach. Like all the beach towns in California, traffic was unbelievable. You move at a snails pace along the main boulevard as pedestrians run in and out of traffic. Bicycles are weaving in and out of lanes that are bumper to bumper and you’re keeping your eyes peeled for a parking space. We were actually quite lucky ~ we came upon a parking spot on the main boulevard......an old VW hippie bus was pulling out and we zoomed in. Now, standing outside, I searched for the closest bathroom so I could put my suit on. The closest one didn’t look all that close and I thought that by the time I got there, changed and got back, I would have wasted a good 30 minutes that could easily have been spent on the beach.
So, putting KJ on perv patrol, I climbed into the backseat of his SUV, pulled those little sunshade thingees down on the windows and changed. I will say this...it’s much easier to get ‘undressed’ in a car than it is to get ‘dressed’. Anyway, 3 minutes later, I’m out of the car and we’re heading down to the beach. In record time, the chairs are set up, the umbrella is in the sand, I’ve got my shades on, my book in my lap and I sigh. Pure heaven, I say. The only thing missing was an adult beverage being delivered by a smokin' hot cabana boy. *smirks*
Funny thing, I didn’t read much of my book. I was too busy watching the surfers as they bobbed up and down in the water, waiting for that perfect wave. I was like a kid, clapping my hands in glee whenever I’d see the dolphins playfully jumping in and out of the water. And when I wasn’t lounging in my chair, I was walking along the waters edge, looking for seashells, getting my feet wet or drawing my name in the sand.
As the sun began to set and the temperature slowly dropped, we packed up our beach gear and grudgingly headed back to the car where once again, I put KJ on perv patrol while I changed clothes in the back of his SUV. Did I mention that it’s much easier undressing than it is dressing in a car? We stopped for dinner before heading home and while drinking my mango margarita, I realized that I could easily be a beach bum. There is nothing more relaxing to me than a day at the beach. Laying there with your toes buried in the sand, the smell of the ocean filling your nostils ~ for at least an afternoon, you can forget your troubles ~ if you just breathe in and then breathe out, release some stress and just ‘let go’ of any extra baggage in your life that you no longer need to carry around with you.
And that’s exactly what I did . . . I breathed in, I breathed out . . . . and I let it all go.
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