Waking Up at the Beach is Good for the Soul.
Waking up at the beach is good for the soul. I’m not one of those people whose “happy place” is the beach. But I do love it. I grew up an hour from the ocean and have good memories of packing a bag and throwing it into the car for a Saturday at the beach with my family. As a teenager, making the drive down twisty back roads with a high school friend and spending an afternoon baking in the sun felt like the ultimate freedom. There isn’t a lot of ultimate freedom to be found these days. I live much farther than an hour from the beach now. In adulthood, time has stretched into years when I haven’t stepped foot on a beach. And I’ve forgotten just how cleansing and peaceful it is. I woke up around 4:30 am, which is my normal time during the school year, which is quickly approaching. And since 6, I’ve been out on the balcony looking over the dune across the street at the little sliver of ocean I can see. It is quiet and air smells salty. The waves rolling in is such a soothing sound. And I have needed to be soothed lately. Haven’t we all? In a world that has felt absolutely off kilter and unsure for the past 18 months, being near the ocean, something that has remained constant since the beginning of time, is indeed, good for this soul.
