When asked to name my favorite place, I don’t even have to think about it.  Ever since I was a little girl, the beach was my favorite spot in the world.  And even though I didn’t grow up anywhere near the beach, I always felt like a beach girl at heart.

Growing up, I spent fifty-one weeks a year waiting for our one-week family vacation to the shore.  I could hardly wait to smell the salt air, hear the gulls, and feel the sand between my toes.  And while other kids collected bubblegum cards, I collected brochures from motels at the shore.  I guess that does sound a bit strange now!  As a teen, I read surfer magazines, watched surfing competitions on TV, and read every book I could find about the beach.  Then off to college I went, spending every summer but one at the shore.

So it should come as no surprise that now I live just across the bay from a beach town.  Even as an adult, there is nothing I love more than stepping outside on a misty morning, the smell of salt heavy in the air.  My kids tease me that it smells like ‘low tide’.  But I just take a deep breath and smile, knowing that is my idea of a perfect day.  I often think I truly appreciate living here because I didn’t grow up here.  I constantly tell my kids how lucky they are to call the shore home.  But I don’t think they really get it.  After all, they’re kids!  And maybe someday they’ll both move away and never look back.  But that will not be the case for me.  And while I don’t know what the future holds and where life may lead me, one thing I do know for sure is this:  the beach will always hold a special place in my heart, and no matter where life’s journey takes me, I will always be a beach girl.  :)

More From Lite 96.9 WFPG