Recharge

Until I crossed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge early Saturday morning, I had not realized how much I really needed a break from the mundane of every day life. 

We took an overnight, two day trip down toward the Port Charlotte area.  My childhood best friend was visiting her snowbird parents from Northern New York, so what better thing to do than take them to our favorite, not very well known beach.  Two left turns and a quick right at the round-about, and we were at the beach!  My friends thought it was as amazing as I do!

We spent the afternoon walking up and down the beach, collecting sharks teeth and sea shells.  We chatted with old men who had spoons attached to old golf club shafts – it was much easier than having to bend over every three seconds when you saw a shark tooth.  We sprawled out on the warm sand, played in the surprisingly warm water, and we all had these funny smiles on our face that showed how wonderful the sea air was treating us that day. 

I took a few moments for myself and walked up the beach.  Even though my daily life has a relatively low stress level, I do forget to take time out to just get away from everything.  This was that weekend for me.  I walked along the beach, hearing the surf crash, I watched the seagulls chasing each other, I watched the end of a wedding, and I took in a deep breath of salty air.  I was at peace!

We came back to the beach early Sunday morning for a few hours.  It was quiet when we arrived.  We wandered along the same stretch of beach as we had the day before, but it was like seeing it for the first time.  The water was a perfect green, like a piece of glass that tumbled across the ocean for a hundred years.  The sun kissed our shoulders, leaving pink in its place. 

I was in the place that makes me happiest, along the sea, with the love of my life.  I was refreshed and my batteries were recharged.  I made myself a promise that I wouldn’t wait so long to get back to that place.