Beach Nights

​

With the sun shining bright, Tim and I decided to have dinner on the deck at the beach club. Why not? We scrambled to get there, but once we settled in and felt the salty air on our faces, it was well worth the rush.

Tim had ordered us a pizza, so dinner was easy. We sat there enjoying our takeout as if we were the luckiest couple on the planet. Before long, friends joined us, making an already perfect evening even better.

It was a bit windy but still warm, and since I can never be near the beach without kicking off my shoes and walking barefoot in the sand, Carole agreed to take a quick stroll with me. We filled our pockets with perfect seashells, gathering them like treasures. Each one felt like a tiny masterpiece created by nature.

Meanwhile, the club was full of card players hunkered down inside, seemingly unaware of the beauty they were missing outside. Their weekly games left the deck and beach to a handful of us, no complaints from the outside crew. 

I've never been someone who enjoys carving my life around a rigid weekly routine, unless it's paid work. Fun should happen here and there, mixed with a little spontaneity and the occasional change of plans. That's often where the best memories are made. But to each their own. I suppose some people enjoy the comfort of routine and predictability. As for me, monotony has never been my thing.

Every day and every evening presents new possibilities, and I always want to choose the one that feels right in the moment, even if that choice ends up being a quiet night at home.

Soon enough, we'll be spending more and more time at the beach. After all, when the sun is shining and the ocean is calling, it's hard to imagine a better place to be, whether it's day or night.

By the time we left, the sun was beginning to dip lower and the air carried that familiar seaside chill. My pockets were full of shells, my hair messy and salty from the sea air, and I was already looking forward to the next beachside dinner and treasure hunt in the sand. 

"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul." ~ Robert Wyland