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

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.

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 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.

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!

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.

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 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.