Monday, July 19, 2010

Life's a Beach and Then You Go Home

When I was a girl, I dreamed of summers spent at the beach. Crashing waves, salty air, tan skin. I am a Pisces, the fish. I don't know if I subscribe to astrology, but in this area it is spot on. I do love the water. Alas, growing up in landlocked Kansas, dreams of the ocean are all I had. And while we spent many, many summer days and nights on the lake waterskiing and swimming, always there was that call to the ocean.

It is many, many years later and now I live on the water. Or darn close anyway. You can't see it from my house, but you can be there within 15 or 20 minutes. Despite this, I have taken miserly few beach vacations. So many of my trips have involved visiting family in other parts of the country that I have neglected this desire.

But a few weeks ago, after months of anticipation and planning, I found my way to the ocean again. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We drove through the night, a mostly sleeping toddler in the back seat while I fought hallucinations to get there alive. It seems I'm not so good at staying up 24 hours as I used to be. Also, two glasses of wine and I am DONE. But that is another story.

We arrived to find our hotel and, thanks to all that is good and holy, they let us check in hours ahead of normal time. Despite our dismay at not getting the room we reserved (Again, months and months ago. Wyndam, you let us down. Big time.), we were delighted with the view and location. We made do, because what kind of practical midwesterner would I be if I couldn't overcome a teensy bit of adversity like that?

Our first night was the Fourth of July and I would be remiss if I didn't say that if you've never seen fireworks from a 15th story balcony in North Myrtle Beach, well, you just haven't lived. First off, evidently the folks in South Carolina aren't as concerned about people blowing off fingers and catching houses on fire as we are here in Maryland, the land of "we don't trust you with more than a sparkler." Seriously, they should put that on the license plate. No my friends, in South Carolina, any Tom, Dick and Jim Bob can shoot off any kind of firework they want. Anywhere. And they did. All up and down the beach, for miles and miles. Dangerous though it might have been, it was spectacular. Watching my daughter ooh and aah, her eyes wide, made the long drive and sleepless night completely worth it.

The rest of the week went by in a lazy progression of food, pool, food, nap, beach, food, sleep. Repeat. The days ran in to one another. I ate my weight in crab legs and fried corn on the cob. I felt not sleep deprived for the first time in nearly three years. My beloved husband, without discussion, took the lion's share of Sophie watching, so I could enjoy myself. And most importantly, I rolled around in the Atlantic waves.

Our last day, we watched a lightening storm come in off of the water. It was a fitting end to a week of perfect weather. We sat on the balcony, watching the current travel between cloud and water, listening to the thunder and wishing we could stay just a little bit longer.

I know we will look back on the photos for years to come and laugh at the memory of the little girls (and their daddies) digging their way to china in the sand, the look on Sophie's face when we jumped into a wave as it crested, the homey little diner where we ate breakfast and the waitresses played peekaboo with Sophie, floating around the lazy river pool, us on the big tubes and Sophie on her little donkey floaty.

You understand how people can chuck it all and run away to live a carefree beach lifestyle. Pull a Gauguin*. Those few days spent with friends, each other and the ocean, were idyllic. It would be heaven to live like that always. But it is often rarity that bestows upon a thing its preciousness. Could we appreciate the beauty and simple pleasures if we had them everyday?

I can tell you this much, I wouldn't mind trying.
















*Although not the abandoning family part.

22 comments:

  1. I am in love with the ocean and beach vacations. I crave the ocean air, the sound of the waves, and the feeling of the salt water on my skin. I spent summers in Greece from the age of 1, swimming in the beautiful sea, and every vacation I've ever been on has involved an ocean, more or less. Love seeing my boys playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean, too. So relaxing and wonderful. I WISH I lived by the sea... how heavenly that would be!

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  2. I LOVE this post, Cara!

    There is just something about the beach, isn't there? The pure exhaustion you feel at the end of a sun-soaked day is a feeling that can't be beat.

    So, where you going next year?

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  3. I have always loved the sea - in another life I might well have been a sailor on a tall ship. I envy you your trip - but then, though the waves are 'little', I DO have Lake Michigan close enough for hand grenades. It'll do in a pinch.

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  4. oo sounds like so much fun!! maybe ,just a thought .. we could rent a house together down there ...NC that is... so miss the beach even though the water is so close it feels so far. would love to . but it's your family vacation just a thought because I so want to go... sounds like you had a wonderful time.. so jealous...

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  5. great post. so glad you had a good time.

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  6. That sounds perfect.
    The beach, fireworks, naps crab legs and corn on the cob: not KEY words for an awesome vacation!

    I would LOVE to leave on the beach and be able to walk there every day, year-round. There's something about the crashing of the waves on the shore and the seagulls and all that just makes me feel so happy and serene.

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  7. sounds like you had an amazing time! now that we live on the gulf coast, I miss our summer trips to North Carolina when the kids were younger and lounging all day long on the beach. hey I'm coming up to MD for a few days...if you're up for a road trip, I'll be at the Vintage Coffee House on Main Street in Mt. Airy on Friday, July 30th around 10. would love to meet you and the bean in real life!!

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  8. Okay, you and I can TOTALLY do a house-swap. I live very close to the beach (like a 3 minute drive, if that). Unfortunately, I've grown to ignore it, drive past it without looking, without even opening the window to smell the sea breeze. In fact, I hate the sand in everything, on everything, in my son's butt crack. But the truth is, I moved away for a long time, and it drew me back in because it really is a beautiful place to live. I was born and raised in this little beach community, and once I was an outsider, it had a magnetic pull. We're still moving to Portland next year, but we'll be back to visit family, and I assume that I'll grow to miss and cherish it once again.

    But seriously, wanna switch houses for a couple weeks? Just kidding...sort of.

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  9. Very well put Cara. Sounds like you had a great time. I am a tad jealous that we are missing out on a vacation this year, and possibly the next. But we'll get back therer someday! Till then we'll make due in the kiddie pool in your backyard.

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  10. I'm with you. I'd love to try it. It sounds like y'all had such a great vacation.

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  11. My Lord, girl, I got totally relaxed reading the part about the lightning storm! Sounds delightful! And, of course I had a little chuckle about "we don't trust you with more than a sparkler."....LOL...same in our parts, ha ha. Wonderful pic to finish off your post!

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  12. Ooh, ahh. Sounds perfect. Makes me think about selling everything to buy a sailboat to just tour the Caribbean for a while. 'Cept I don't know how to sail. Sophie is getting so big!

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  13. AMazing...there is nothing like the beach.. I just came back and I have to tell you... it was sooo delightful...Im following you now!!!!!!!!!

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  14. I'm a Pisces too and luckily spent almost every summer vacation of my childhood near the ocean. However, I have to say that I enjoy viewing and walking along the water far more than I enjoy actually being in it.

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  15. I wish you could come and stay with us for a while! I would take you to the beach every day. I LOVED this post, because I too LOVE the Atlantic. I am happiest floating in the ocean... the minute I taste that salt water I am calm and relaxed and happy. Funny about the fireworks. We go for fourth of July in Corolla and watch the 'works right over our heads - sometimes it lands right by you! Scary but in a fun way. FW's are illegal in NC - and the beaches are all dry so I get frustrated when ppl shoot them over the dry beach houses and brush... but they ARE beautiful!

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  16. I'm so happy you had a great vacation!!
    I'd love to visit Myrtle Beach someday. I'd love to just go to the east coast some day!!

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  17. We did the drive through the night thing to OBX a few weeks ago. The only thing scarier than the hallucinations were the interesting folks running the McDonald's drive thru at 2 AM in no-where VA....

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  18. Oh, that little teeny girl in all that big, wide sand. So sweet. And fried corn on the cob? What planet have I been living on that I missed that all these years??

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  19. Oh, me too. I love the ocean. I'd give it a try myself, if I had the chance.

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  20. If you are trying to start a beach following count me in! I'd love to give it a try too. The last two years we haven't done any beach vacations so I miss it. :(

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  21. Oh, this makes me crave a beach vacation. How lovely.

    As for the wine? One glass and I'm done. It's very sad, what motherhood does to a girl.

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Give me some sugar, baby!