The Beach

Having grown up near the beach and spent four years of college near it, I can honestly say that the one thing I miss most in Maryland is being minutes away from it. There's nothing like a walk on the beach after a long day of work or with your friends or even a romantic evening strolling along.... I try to make a trip there each time I come home and the girls love it as well. Yesterday, since the sun broke and it was slightly warmer we decided to head down there.

Before we left, Kt made a big "Spring Break Beach Scavenger Hunt" checklist. The girls had some high hopes, both asking if I'd brought along their bathing suits! I reminded them that it was still like winter around here (at least to us!) and that the beach would be too cold for that. My warning were unheeded, however, and "towels", "beach umbrellas" and "hermit crabs" remained on the list!

When we arrived, the lot was nearly empty, but the beach itself was bussling with the beach hopefuls. I've been there! Some had worn shorts in anticipation of the next beach season, others wisely brought along their winter jackets worn oddly with flip flops! The girls quickly found most of their beach items - seagulls, sand, shells, rocks and swings - and then hit the swings, reveling in how easy their quest was without the usual beach bums.

As I stood there with them, a car load of teenagers pulled up, music blaring, slushees in hand, even a blow up globe (I guess there weren't any beach balls yet) who ran up to the swings. Just watching them reminded me of growing up around that area, scrounging up pennies for a snack at the beach and just relaxing after school. Then a school bus pulled up, loaded with short and t-shirt clad boys on some kind of sports team. They all ran out yelling, "It's high tide!" After a quick snack, off they went on a beach run. That is the only way anyone could have enjoyed the beach in shorts and a t-shirt yesterday!

After swinging and burying their legs in sand, the girls and I left. I was an ice cube - but a salt-water one, they were not going easily. There is something about the beach that draws us in. It really calls our name. For me, it's years of memories and a longing to be close to those. For the girls, it must be the fun and carefree time with no responsibilities. For all of us, it's the novelty of something we just don't have at home. We love it, and if we had it our way, we'd take it back to Maryland with us!