1. Choose carefully. That goes for your beach, your suit, and your company (or lack thereof).
· A good beach can be all you need to have a good
day, so choose well. I often make the
nostalgic choice and go where my family has been going for 25 years: Salisbury Beach. The last stop before New Hampshire, Salisbury offers the rough North
Atlantic in all its artic glory and the calmer Merrimac River outlet. Two beach
choices for the price of one!
· When relaxation is your utmost goal, you have to
be comfortable. Wear a suit you both
like the look of and the feel of. Decent sunglasses take shore-side reading and
people watching to the next level. A pillow, a plushy towel, or a big hat: do
whatever it takes.
· For many a day at the beach is a social
event. If that’s the case for you, great:
gather the troops and make a playlist. In the case you are more like me, less
is more. Take someone along who is prepared to read – or watch you read – for the
next four hours. That way everyone’s’
happiness is preserved.
2.
Pack Accordingly. You’re
going to the beach, not moving your residence.
· The eternal ‘beach book’ is a hotly debated
topic. Chick lit or solid fiction? Smut or the classics you never read in
college? And finally, is non-fiction always a no-no? Personally I’m the first
one to hit the sand with “Crime and Punishment” or the true life story of Henry
VIII’s mother’s aunt’s hand servant, so I think the best thing to do is to bring
whatever interests you. If the most
involved piece you read this summer is Ok magazine, enjoy it. It’s still better
than not reading at all.
· Snacks!
What American cultural tradition exists without at least some type of
food at the center of it? Bring fruit
and water to stay hydrated. Dehydration is a funkiller. Beyond that, bring
something that resists or benefits from the inclusion of a little sand. Unless sand is your kind of thing…
· Remember it’s just a day (or even a few hours)
at the beach. Don’t bring your whole wardrobe
/ library / apartment. You’re only going
to have to lug it back home and then remove all the sand from it (and there
will be sand).
3.
Embrace the experience. It supposed
to be fun!
· I’ll admit I have trouble relaxing. I grew up in a house of perpetual motion and
cannot help but to always be moving, cleaning, working, etc. This isn’t a great
way to be though; we work so we may earn the opportunity to relax and vacation.
Don’t waste it. Don’t worry about it being perfect or if it will rain (because
it will) and enjoy. Treasure it. Not everyone has the chance to sit on the
beach with no more purpose but to sit.
· Beaches, lest we forget are living, breathing
ecosystems. There will be animals and birds and slimy plants that touch your
legs without warning, making you scream like a baby. But the ocean would not be the beautiful
destination it is without its living organisms.
Nothing is going to hurt you (I only speak for the North Atlantic; Australian
beaches scare even me) or bother you, so leave the little crabbies alone. It’s like you are visiting their home, so be
a good house guest. Don’t harass animals
or birds, take only empty shells, and forgive the seagulls their incredibly
annoying ways; they just can’t help themselves.
 |
| Salisbury Beach |
No comments:
Post a Comment