City Girl in a Small Town

For many people, their end goal is to end up on a beach after retirement. Fortunately for me, this is how I grew up. There is something very peaceful about hearing the waves crashing when you open your window in the morning. As a kid I spent most of my time outside, playing in the water and meeting friends down at the beach. At a certain point in time, it was not enough for me anymore.

Even with my dreams of becoming a dancer, I wanted to go to New York. There was the thought of a nonstop city that drew me in. I wanted to be surrounded by people who were different than the same routine every day. Finishing high school during a pandemic, I packed my bags for Richmond, Va. Far enough from home, but close enough to go back.

As I settled into Richmond and thought more about my future in NYC, I started to miss the beach. Once you live with the water, it is hard to give it up. I missed the smell of the saltwater, the convenience of going, and the simple joys of being able to go with friends. It is easy to get lost in the past and regret your future. I felt and maybe still feel, determined to find a new or my own life elsewhere. The beach was not mine it was my family and friends, and I wondered why I had missed it so much.

In order to fix this sinking feeling, I had to make a change. I started making occasional trips back home in order to dip my toes in the sand again. Coming back home from breaks to watch the sunsets at the bay, eat dinner on the oceanfront, and swim under the hot sun was what kept me going. It was a way for me to bring the beach with me and not long for it while away.

Now when I think of home, it is rare trips to see family for a few days and sometimes friends not at all. Planning ahead of time to take a trip to the beach because it is one of the only things that makes you feel at peace. Now that my life is moving forwards and away from my hometown, I look for it in many places. In the water that is not the ocean, in the rocks that are not sand, and in the wind that is not the sound of waves. Going home is a bliss not many get to experience and I am thankful to say I get to miss it.

I will always love the beach no matter the skyscrapers I will live in!