beach

Personal

I love to read when I travel, and travel when I read. I always look forward to my annual “book binge” in the summertime, the only actual part of the year I have time to enjoy dozens of books. However, there is nothing like traveling physically and traveling mentally at the same time. It’s extremely satisfying to buy a book at the airport, read it on the plane, and finish it while on a vacation. The book began the journey with you, and it became a part of the journey itself.

I recently got into “beach reads” while on a recent trip to Florida. These are usually romance novels taking place somewhere dreamy and warm. I usually go for psychological thrillers and murder mysteries, but this past summer I yearned for something a bit different. I noticed a contrast in how I viewed and experienced my vacation depending on what book I read… As aforementioned, I’m a big fan of mystery novels, the intensity, and twists make my blood pump and heart race, I love a book I can’t put it down. However, what I discovered in the stillness and satisfaction of a beach read–while on a beach, how perfect–is that I enjoyed every page as it came and every day as they passed. I was calm. I was still fully invested in the stories, as I would be in a thriller, but it was different, the “can’t-put-it-downess,” was similar but distinct. And my young traveler’s heart felt different as well.

Once I became invested in this specific author, Elin Hilderbrand, I couldn’t stop the rest of the summer. She writes the most amazing stories, the places and the characters are so detailed it feels like I am witnessing a whole world, a whole life, unfold in front of me. Even when I got home, far away from the beach, I still felt the soft calmness of the quiet ocean rushing up the sand to touch my toes, the kiss of the breeze and the sun on my nose. I was transported completely into the worlds Hilderbrand created. It was a blessing to have her books as an escape this year. COVID has prevented most, if not all, of us from fulfilling our wanderlust. But we can still travel, in a way, I can open a book and be on Nantucket or St. John. I can travel anywhere at any time, a global pandemic can never take that away.

I have never been to St. John, but it feels like I have. I am extremely grateful for the fated moment I picked up my first Elin Hilderbrand novel at an airport book store. 28 Summers is the only book that has ever made me cry, I may have started it in Florida and finished it back at home but the whole time my mind was on Nantucket, experiencing a life I couldn’t have experienced otherwise. I love to read when I travel, and the only traveling I can do right now is through books. My heart and soul are in St. John, a place I have never been to, but it’s an island I want to one-day call home solely because I saw an enticing cover at an airport bookstore. Since then, she’s all I’ve been reading. A new book of hers, the final to a trilogy, was recently delivered to my apartment, now I’m headed back to St. John.

 

 

Personal

How did a Colorado Native turn into an East Coast beach lover?

The sunrise over the ocean one morning in Sea Isle.
The sunrise over the ocean one morning in Sea Isle.

I will try to give you some idea:

Every August, my boyfriend’s family goes to Sea Isle City, a small island off the southern coast of New Jersey. His grandparents have had a place there since the 80’s and so the family has been vacationing there ever since. I am now fortunate enough to tag along on their yearly trip.

This past year was a bit different of course with the pandemic and COVID-19 precautions, but we decided to still make the trip happen. I think that the August 2020 trip was more impactful than the last few partly because of the timing.

I was able to find a calm and peaceful place, even amidst all the world’s craziness and uncertainty. I found a new home away from home, grounded in nature and restful in the sun’s cycle.

Dipping my toes in the water, one of my favorite pastimes at the beach!
Dipping my toes in the water, one of my favorite pastimes at the beach!

I wasn’t one for the outdoors until I frequented the beach. I say that the mountains have been calling, but when I answered, they told me to go to the beach, and then they hung up. As a Colorado native, it surprises many people that I do not ski or snowboard, or really spend much time in the mountains at all. I will go maybe 5 times a year because the mountains aren’t far for a weekend trip, and it truly is beautiful. I just don’t have the deeper connection that many others do with the mountains.

However, I found out this year in Sea Isle City, that I do appreciate nature differently and deeply at the beach.

I am dancing around on the sand while watching the sunrise over the ocean.
A dancing me viewing the sunrise over the ocean.

I attribute this to several things:

The connection to nature was found in the simpleness of a beach town, learning how to have less of a routine, take in the water’s tide, and view the sunrise and sunset. It is the simplicity of being content. I realized I don’t need a whole lot to have inner peace.

I would look at the beach and understood it offers a lot in itself: the the way the sunlight hits, the sound of the waves, the rhythm, the salt, the sand.

All of this is the Earth itself, nothing else. It works on its own. It is completely powered by nature. This place that I love so much has nothing and no one to thank but nature, and this made me start to understand and love it so much. I was able to sit there without any other stimulation, no phone, no book, no headphones, just completely in awe of this place.

Me pictured wading in the water on one of our beach days.
Pure bliss on a day spent on the beach 🙂

Now, I know there are many beaches around the world to experience very similar things. I think that is part of the beauty of it. But it was in Sea Isle that I discovered this. It was the place I had a shift in thinking. I appreciate this place because of that, and because this trip allows me to slow down. Even when I was busy with summer classes, I was able to remain relaxed on the trip.

It is things like the walk to iced coffee and bagels in the morning, the humid air of a dim morning, the carefree and childlike run towards the water, or the race towards the sunset in hopes to not miss it. The sun rise over the ocean was something I had never seen, and it was breathtaking.

A perfect day in Sea Isle would start with waking up early to catch the sunrise. I’d sit on the sand, maybe with a towel underneath, and marvel at the sun’s process. Then, it would be time to swing by the local coffee shop and grab a donut or sticky bun- I recommend Nickelby’s!

Nickelby's Deli
Nickelby’s Deli
The side of Nickelby's building.
The side of Nickelby’s building.

For this particular trip, I then had to do some school work, but being in this town and near the ocean made it so much less stressful. I had the motivation to get it done to then explore! We would either go to the beach and play games, lay out and/or actually get in the water! If it wasn’t a beach day, we might explore Sea Isle or the neighboring islands; Avalon and Stone Harbor are charming. I just would love to spend the days seeing new places, trying new things, and relaxing.

A quick shot taken on a walk home from grabbing breakfast and coffee at Nickelby's.
A quick shot taken on a walk home from grabbing breakfast and coffee at Nickelby’s.

There were less worries. Maybe it is the carefree beach town vibe, or maybe it is the fact that I knew I could catch the sunset over the bay, and that was the biggest concern for the day, to get there on time. One night I left my melting ice cream at home to run down a couple blocks to see it set over the bay.

The sun setting over the bay.
The sun setting over the bay.

The combination of the nearby beach, the salt air, the slowness, and the beauty of the ocean’s simple, yet astounding offerings make Sea Isle an escape for me, but one where I find peace in nature.

I now look forward to each August, for the chance to slow down, to take a break, to see the sun in a different place, and to feel that inner connection to the ocean.

Travelogue

My Trip to the Amalfi Coast

 

In 2019, during my time studying abroad in Spain my junior year of college, a group of my close friends and I decided to book an Airbnb on the high cliffs of Atrani overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.  I embarked on my trip to Italy with the hopes of eating amazing food, seeing beautiful sights, and relaxing on the beach.  I first flew to Naples to meet my friends.  From Naples we then took a van through the city of Pompeii, as well as the Italian countryside on our way to the coast.  I will never forget sitting in the crowded van with my eyes glued to the window as we sped through the windy Italian roads.

Our Airbnb in Atrani, which was big enough to sleep 20, sat atop what appeared to be a never-ending system of stairs and walkways.  After meandering our way up the mountainside, we finally made it to our house.  Never in my life had I ever stayed in a place with such breathtaking views.  We spent the first day on the beach, enjoying the crystal clear ocean water.  The clarity of the water along the Amalfi Coast could rival any mountain spring creek in Colorado.

We soon realized, however, that the only open restaurant in the small town of Atrani was a rundown pizza and sandwich shop.  And no, I am not talking about the pizza one might imagine finding in Italy.  Immediately, I became horrified that I may not get to enjoy a true Italian feast during my visit.  For anyone who has never been to the Amalfi coast, the landscape is rugged, and it is nearly impossible to move between towns without a motorized vehicle.  That night, I ate my soggy pizza, praying that it would not be the only thing I ate for the next two days.

When I woke up the next day, I made it my mission to find a true authentic Italian restaurant that would be possible to walk to.  This is easier said than done with minimal cell reception and no knowledge of the Italian language.  While my friends spent the early afternoon enjoying drinks on the beach, I was asking around hoping to find someone who spoke enough English to tell me where to get a meal.  I was fortunate enough to meet a local man who looked to be about my age who directed me to a tunnel which connects Atrani to the neighboring town, a very good resource to know about.  From there he gave me directions to a very old restaurant whose name translates to Grandma Amelia’s.  I knew in that moment that I had found what I was looking for.

This wonderful little restaurant by the sea was able to seat all 21 of us (at various tables) along the sea wall.  When we arrived at the restaurant, my nose filled with the most incredible smell of fresh herbs and slow cooked meat.  As I sat there drinking wine and enjoying the most incredible Bolognese ever crafted, I felt all my hopes and dreams for my Italian vacation coming true.  We sat for hours eating, drinking, and doing our best to converse with the locals.

My state of bliss continued into the next day as we had rented two mini-yachts with crew to take us on a tour of the Amalfi Coast.  Our crew showed us some amazing scenery and even took us to a place where we could cliff jump.  For lunch we docked in the large town of Positano.  There we were treated to another fantastic meal of fresh seafood and pasta.  As I sat riding on the bow of the boat cruising through the emerald blue waters, I felt incredibly fortunate for the experiences I was having.

The next day as I packed my bags and boarded the van to take us back to Naples, I could not help but feel a bit sad.  I loved my time interacting with locals, and Grandma Amelia’s homemade Bolognese is something I will surely never forget.