9.6.2023
I hope you’ve all had a fantastic weekend! I just got back from vacation at the beach, and let me tell you, it was much needed. People at work think I’m joking when I said I only came back because I missed my dogs. I’m not. I legitimately would jump in the car and drive back today if I could. And if I could take TenSoon and Kibeth with me. Country, too.
There’s something about the beach. My family has gone to the beach for many, many years—most of my earliest memories of family vacation are either the beach in the late summer, or visiting grandparents in the winter. My mother was partial to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then discovered Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia and decided lake life was to her liking. When I think about vacation, though, about relaxation and fun and time to enjoy myself, my heart heads for the ocean.
A towel draped over a beach chair under an umbrella, my feet in the sand, the ocean in front of me with the tide going in and out, in and out, the sun shining down and a perfect breeze. A drink, a packed sandwich and some snacks, and a book to read if I feel like it. Or I can watch the waves, and the birds and the people walking the beach or playing in the water. Something about the ocean soothes my soul, the tide pulling the stress and anxiety of work and life and health and obligations right out to sea. The sound of the waves, rhythmic, comforting, eternal, clears my mind. It’s meditative, trance-like. Hours can pass while I watch the tide change. Just… being. Existing.
As I’m sure you can tell, it puts me in a philosophical mood and I wax lyrical. That sort of change of pace is good.
I wasn’t doing nothing the whole time, though. I sat and watched, I ate tons of great food, played games with my friends, had a date with my husband, and I read. A lot. I’ll give y’all a look at what I read while I was gone in my next post!
I also wrote every day, adding new words to the magic-western short story series. I wrote before most of the rest of the house was awake, sitting on the covered balcony and watching the sun come up, drinking my coffee and enjoying the peaceful mornings. I’m about 7800 words in on the third story, and on track to reach my goal length for it.
There were two days where the weather didn’t permit going out and planting myself in the sand, one for rain and the other for wind. I got a bit of revision done on those days, since I brought it with me, but revision is a lot like actual work, and I try not to do much work while I’m on vacation. I did get about 8% of the way finished with the worksheets I’m filling out, though. I’m pleased with that, and now that I’m home I’ll be making a little extra time during the week to make sure I get the progress I need on this so I can publish it next year.
Until next time,
Happy thoughts and perfect days.
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