Posted on 8/26/2020

When the Beach is Your Backyard

- Clarissa G., marketing coordinator
when the beach is your backyardEvery summer, our beach fills up with tourists from across the country, sometimes even across the globe. People from all walks of life come to our coast to experience the majestic Atlantic Ocean. It’s beautiful to witness (maybe not from the end of the line at Food Lion on the weekend) so many different families coming together to appreciate the spectacular sights and activities that we call home. Families come and spend a week on vacation after dreaming about it for months, sometimes years. But then the end of the week comes before they know it. Bags are packed, sand is shook out of the floor mats, home addresses are entered into navigation systems, and suddenly the island has a peaceful echo of emptiness to it. It’s surprising how quiet the island is during the off-season, compared to the thrumming pulse of summer. Many people ask me what it’s like to “live at the beach.” I personally live nearby, about 30 minutes away. I have lived on and off the island, and although I loved being able to walk out my back door and into the sand, it’s more affordable to live inland. I’m originally from the Midwest, so 30 minutes is a plenty close drive to the beach for me. I feel like this is truly “home” for me after twelve years of living here.Getting to see saltwater on a daily basis never gets old. I thought surely, after so many years, it would get less exciting. It’s different now… seeing the beach and the coast is settling. Like I can take a deep breath and be completely grounded. When I’m away and return, the smell of salt air just seems ‘right’ and smells like home. I’m still perfectly happy to stare at the waves for hours, sifting through the sand for shells and generally behaving like a big kid as soon as my feet hit the sand.