Sometimes You Just Need a (Wrightsville) Beach Day
When a girl needs a beach day, she needs a beach day. And a few weekends ago, I needed a beach day — a day at the Wrightsville Beach oceanfront to be precise. Complete with a blanket in the sand, a good book, and a low maintenance lunch (a Subway sandwich and a Diet Coke), I took advantage of the beautiful sunny and 70 degree (November!!) weather and spent a few hours at one my favorite, most happiest places. It was the best therapy a girl could ask for following several weeks of long, busy workweeks and post-election chaos. Out on the beachfront for more than two hours, I spent my time napping, people watching, meandering, taking pictures, reading, and enjoying the peace and beauty of the moment.
How I love the beach and all it’s calming, healing, magical powers. The serotonin boost that accompanies the simple presence of oceanic views. The happiness that fuels the soul while watching and listening to waves crash against the shore. The stress relieving abilities of Mother Nature’s most powerful sound machine. The simplicity of life in the sun and the sand. The way problems, burdens, and weights on shoulders fade to nothing. I love many things in this crazy, beautiful life, but there are few things I love more than the beach.
Wrightsville Beach has always been a personal favorite beach of mine, long before Public Access 24 set the scene for Alex and my engagement in 2020. Back when I was a kid, my sister, my grandpa, and I traveled to North Carolina to visit my aunt Pam and she took us to Wrightsville Beach for the very first time. We found a whole sand dollar on the shore and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. We collected seashells, swam in the ocean, and fretted about rip currents and shark attacks, completely mesmerized by the biggest, bluest, most endless body of water before us.
I grew up in Wisconsin, some 1000+ miles away from the closest ocean. Now that I’ve lived in East-Central North Carolina for more than a decade, I can’t imagine my life without easy access to the coast. When I need a mental health reset, I go to the ocean. When I need to relax and unwind, I go to the ocean. When I need a moment to feel inspired, or a moment to just be and exist, I go to the ocean. It’s therapeutic for me. And now that the seasons are changing and the tourists are fizzling out, it’s my favorite time to visit and explore the coast. I live for the cooler, quiet days and less crowded beaches.
Which brings me back to my solo afternoon at Wrightsville Beach. Enjoying the most beautiful late-fall weather, I kicked off my boots, curled up in my blanket, read a good chunk of chapters in my book, and nodded off a time or two. I watched many people walk the shore, laughed at the crazy kids running into the (cold) water, and even pet a surprise doggo (who then led his people down the beach on a chase — PSA, please leash your dogs). Between the ocean, the seagulls, and the miscellaneous chatter all around me, I felt totally immersed in my own little world. Relaxation level: 100. When I packed my things and began the trek back home, I left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and recharged. Sometimes you just need a (Wrightsville) beach day!
Wrightsville Beach: stay beautiful.
Enjoy!
JBW