Backstory: When I was compiling The List for nudges, I thought about skills I want to learn, activities I loved doing as a kid and might enjoy doing again, and all sorts of things that have fed my soul in the past and might still work their magic on me today. This week’s nudge falls into that last category.
I grew up on the beaches of Southern California. I body-surfed, explored tide pools, cooked meals over fire pits, and sometimes just sat and watched and listened. The beach is where I went when I needed to clear my head, rest my body (or sometimes reboot it with a strenuous workout), and refuel my spirit.
I’ve now lived in Northern California for over a decade and I have yet to walk on the beach closest to my home. It’s cold here! It’s windy! It’s not the same!
Lately I’ve felt a longing to get back to the beach. I’m so glad I pulled this nudge this week. It’s time.
What Happened: The moment I stepped off the pavement, I wanted to take off my shoes and scrunch my toes in the sand. Oh, how I have missed that sensation! Sadly, it was too dang cold! I should mention that I was dressed in two layers of thermal shirts, a down parka, scarf, and gloves. In part to stay warm, I kept moving. And I walked and walked, looked and listened, and took in “my” beach for 90 minutes.
It was wonderful.
Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
I breathed more deeply than I have in ages, and noticed when I got home that my sinuses were clear after fighting a tenacious head cold for weeks. I noticed my mind was quiet and focused, my body relaxed, my legs fatigued, but in a satisfying way. I felt like I’d had a complete re-set.
The Ah-Hahs: Is it the briny air? The ions? The crunch of the sand under my feet? The “white” noise of the surf that works its magic on me? Probably all of the above in concert.
Sure, I miss the beaches of my youth, but I’m learning to appreciate the beauty of the beach in my present.
My inaugural walk happened over a lunch break. Totally doable, especially because that beach is just two miles from home. The next morning, I felt a longing to return, but it had to wait due to conference calls and other obligations. But tomorrow, Saturday, Louie the dog and I have a date to go to the nearby dog-friendly beach. I look forward to running around with him in the sand and surf, both of us barefoot. I’ll pack some warm socks for after. 🙂
I grew up on the landlocked Prairies, nowhere near an ocean — but there was always at least a small lake within a half-hour’s drive (and we would go there, frequently), and in one town we lived in for six years, there was a big lake just a couple of blocks from our house. My friends & I would ride our bikes there, wade in the water & sit on the breakwater and talk for hours. In high school, there was a beach about 20 minutes away. We’d drive there, swim & then build a bonfire on the beach.
Living in a suburb outside Toronto, our commuter train to & from the city ran along a stretch of Lake Ontario, right alongside some beautiful paved walking trails that are part of the TransCanada Trail. It would always be a few degrees cooler down there, even on a hot, humid day, and I always found a feeling of peace and connection there. We live further from the lake now and I miss it!