What a day! I have scrolled thru all my pics and have had such a hard time deciding which one to use and talk about. In the end, I have decided that my day was filled with too many Positive interactions to choose just one. So I will tell you about all of them...
I woke up this morning at 0600, determined not to let any part of a warm day slip past me. I made coffee in my hotel room and walked out to the beach. It was extremely humid and foggy, giving it a beautifully mysterious aura, and I felt like I was the only one out there. I drained my cup of coffee and filled it back up with seashells to take home, periodically stopping to just listen to the magical, rhythmic sound of the ocean. I saw a crab scuttling across the sand, and someone had taken the time to arrange a bunch of the dark brown seaweed on the beach to resemble Jesus, complete with sideburns and beard. At least I think it was Jesus- I guess it could have been Elvis...
Then I changed from flip-flops to running shoes and took off down the strip. It's amazing how much faster an hour jogging goes by when you are surrounded by new landscape. I saw all sorts of beautiful and typical beach scenes, from surf shops to strip clubs, beautifully manicured lawns to beer cans and used condoms. ..at least I am assuming it was used- I barely missed stepping on it. Yuck.
I bypassed the free breakfast at my hotel (calories!!) and instead wolfed some trail mix down in my room and prepared for the beach. On my way out to the sand I ran Into a little boy and his grandmother. He was walking in front of me rather slowly and the woman apologized. I told her there was no need for apologies and she told the 3-4 year old to wish me a good time at the beach. He promptly winked at me and blew me a kiss- I returned the favor and proceeded back to the beach with a smile on my face.
I basked in the glorious sun for 3 hours, watching surfers and vacationers brave the cold water. I met a lovely retired rcouple from Nebraska who became my best friends in a matter of minutes. We talked on and off for the time I was on the beach, and I learned all about their family and their 50-year anniversary coming up.
The surfers were amazing. I saw them As young as around 4 years old up to at least 65- tons of them taking advantage of the previous day's storms which had brought higher than usual waves. I read my Janet Evanovich book and soaked in the rays- and I have the sunburn to prove it!
Heading back to the hotel, I strolled thru the pool and decided that a cool drink was just what I needed. One Piña Colada from the poolside bar later, I collapsed onto my bed, telling Siri to wake me up at 2 PM.
Well, Siri must have heard "3" instead of "2", and I woke up with a start at 2:30. Fortunately the people above me were.....loud....and I woke up in time to prep for the wedding. An hour later, I had the honor of watching my closest cousin exchange vows with her best friend right on the beach- she was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather.
The rest of the evening was spent traditionally, with a DJ playing music, wedding cake, and tossing of bouquets and garter belts. I watched my stepdad and 70-year old uncle cut a rug on the dance floor and spent time with a cousin I hadn't seen outside of Facebook in over 10 years.
So I feel like I am justified in being tired as I write this post. It was a full day- one filled with happiness, love, new discoveries, tranquility, family, and sunshine. That's what today's pic represents- tomorrow, it is back to reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment