Have you ever had a terrible experience at the beach? It is very hard to, unless a case of bright red sunburn is in the future. To me the beach, specifically Belmar Beach, has been the place to escape to and have all the worries melt from me like a popsicle that has been left in the sun. It is the place to let my soul fly like the seagulls that fill the blue sky above. Whenever a problem inflates in my life a trip to the beach has always been the answer. It is like as soon as my bare feet step on the rustic sand all my worries and obligations are just erased. My head begins to clear just like the ocean. Millions of memories engulf into my head as soon as the smell of salt fresh air fills my lungs.
As I take a seat in my blue beach chair, my eyes fill with photographs. Pictures of what are happening now and recollections of what happened in the past. In front of me I see children making sand castles and laughing. The memories fill my head of when I was just a little tot. It reminded me of the times when my parents would pack up the car on a Saturday morning and we would rush down to the beach. The car would be packed to the roof with anything a family of two girls and parents would need. It included various beach chairs, many buckets and shovels, animal sand molds that we never used but still needed, and of course plenty of towels and an enormous cooler filled with snacks. The thought of that past memory suddenly brings a huge bright smile to my face. Even though it is the beginning of October it is funny to see people still at the beach, even when it’s not beach season. I guess I’m not the only one that comes here to absorb themselves in the earth. A little fact I learned was that the name “Belmar” translates to beautiful sea,...
... middle of paper ...
...ay slowly ends, I could see people packing everything up and heading towards the boardwalk to pile into their cars and head home. Some stay around, like me, to watch the sunset dip into the ocean that connects us to a new world. As I watched the sunset that glowed hues of pink and yellow I could feel myself become one with the world around me. I smile at the people leaving around me and they smile back. The funny part about the beach is that everyone, no matter what issues that are present in life just wants to kick back and enjoy a relaxing day at the beach. They come to the beach to get away from life problems that boggle their heads and cause tension in their lives. All anyone wants to do is just sit back and relax for the day. Just want to be surrounded by good people and a peaceful world that lets us sink our problems into it and forget about them for the day.
The whole island is in the shape of a giant square with white sandy beaches full of people sunbathing, swimming and fishing right on the shoreline. From the end of the hot pavement parking lot to shore of the beach is an ocean of soft white sand. The pearlescent white sand seems to know how to invade every nook and cranny almost as if it enjoys it. Walking around the beach on the fluffy whiteness surrounding the parking lot, the seagulls are fighting over scraps of food on the ground. “Sandy beach ecosystems provide invaluable services to humankind. Their functions have been exploited through history, with significant anthropogenic effects (Lucrezi, 2015)”. This white sandy beach is a beautiful refuge from the mundane grind of everyday life. The smell of the misty ocean air mixed with the sound of seagulls hovering above and kids playing is a tonic for the mind. The feel of the sand between their toes and the waves crashing over them as people swim in the water, or the jerk of a fishing pole when someone is catching a fish makes Fred Howard Park one of the best places to relax. Standing on the beach looking out on the water, people are kayaking and windsurfing. The lifeguards watching vigilantly in their bright red shirt and shorts, blowing their whistles when they see someone being unsafe. After a long day of swimming and laying around visitors head back over the soft white sand to the showers, in order to rinse off the menacing sand that clings to everything like a bad habit. Everyone rushes over the hot pavement burning their feet to reach their cars so they can put away their beach paraphernalia which is still covered in the white sand, nearly impossible to completely leave behind, so when they get home it serves as a reminder of where they were that
The smell of the restaurants faded and the new, refreshing aroma of the sea salt in the air took over. The sun’s warmth on my skin and the constant breeze was a familiar feeling that I loved every single time we came to the beach. I remember the first time we came to the beach. I was only nine years old. The white sand amazed me because it looked like a wavy blanket of snow, but was misleading because it was scorching hot. The water shone green like an emerald, it was content. By this I mean that the waves were weak enough to stand through as they rushed over me. There was no sense of fear of being drug out to sea like a shipwrecked sailor. Knowing all this now I knew exactly how to approach the beach. Wear my sandals as long as I could and lay spread out my towel without hesitation. Then I’d jump in the water to coat myself in a moist protective layer before returning to my now slightly less hot towel. In the water it was a completely different world. While trying to avoid the occasional passing jellyfish, it was an experience of
It was a warm sunny day in the summer of the nineteen nighties nine, at the Jersey Shore. Sally stood outside her grandparents ' house with hesitation. Should Juan and I have come? Sally thinks to herself. Sally then begins to gaze out at the ocean 's shorelines. As if time had stood still and the world faded away. She closed her eyes and took it all in. It made her think of all the wonderful childhood memories that they had achieved there. Sally remembered playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean, the bright sun gazing down upon her and a boy. This place had memories that Sally would never forget and treasure forever, for that kid now a man was always in her heart and her life.
Why do we search for something greater than our existence itself? What makes us crave the unknown, the unexplored? Since the beginning of time, humanity as a whole has always tried to better itself, to perfect the art of civilization. The Beach is a prime example of human kind's quest for the perfect society, our own Utopia. In our minds, a Utopia is the "perfect" community, where no flaws are established, no problems occur. Yet, human kind typically will always destroy itself, no matter how perfect their community seemingly is. Deterioration of these makeshift communities is inevitable. This is exactly what happened to the community at the Beach. Their discreet society was single handedly destroyed by one man, named Richard. Richard, the main focus of the film, displayed the three most inevitable traits of human kind. Richard exposed the Beach by one simple map, afraid of leaving the comforts of home completely behind; he inhabited Earner Goubvich's statement that "The innocent eye sees nothing," and he exposed the Utopia for what it was, not for what everyone thought it was. Richard was the sunglasses that filtered and separated reality from fantasy, and in the end, destroyed the Beach's utopia completely, by introducing pure reality.
...pend their free or discretionary time away from work and life’s obligations. These places provide people escapes from their everyday environments. In line with leisure being seen as recreational activities, these piers and beaches allow for fishing, swimming, walking, nature-viewing, among other activities. The water, sun, sand all help evoke a special attitude or state of mind that allows beach piers to be associated as places where fun can be had and culture can be shared through the spread of ideas, practices, beliefs, and values. While many primarily use the piers as means to socialize and have fun, they are also renewed mentally and spiritually in the process. By enjoying nature, they are able to partake in transcendent experiences, reflection on self and others, tranquility, increased awareness and connection to others, and appreciation of the world’s beauty.
As I walk towards the ocean with the sand warm beneath my feet, the waves lap at my ankles, seeming as if they want to pull me out to sea. The sun rises over the horizon, reflecting off the waves and shimmering like gold. The salt air smells tangy as it stings my nose with the smell I crave while I am away from the ocean. The Outer Banks in North Carolina has been my favorite place to go from my first memories. I look forward to going there every summer because there at the ocean I feel at home. It is a place where I can forget every stress in my life and be totally at peace. It is a place where my family can spend time together, not like at home where we all have activities and places to be. The Outer Banks is not a beach where the ocean is forgotten; there is no partying and no boardwalks, nothing but nature to fill your days there. The beach is not crowded to the point where it is hard to even walk to the beach ,and looking for shells is not even an option. This beach is a very peaceful and surreal place. The noises of people do not overwhelm you at this beach; all you can hear are the sea gulls and the waves.
During the summer months, my family would spend every Sunday at the beach, if it didn’t rain. My father would carry the water cooler packed with sandwiches, fruit and home-made chocolate chip cookies. Tracy and Bobby would swim in the ice cold Atlantic while I waded in water well below my waist. Or often, I’d pick up sea shells from the wet sand to take home to show Tracy
of all places in the world. One minute you are relaxing lazily on the sandy
As we turn onto the cracked cement that is Oceanside Drive, my mood immediately lifts. Houses stand aligned like train cars, facing the frigid Atlantic. Closer to the end of the street is an evergreen cottage where our wheels halt in front of. The second my feet touch the ground that familiar, classic, salty air tells me I’m home. The wooden steps creek under me as I race up them to the door. This house holds so many memories of roaring laughter, crowded couches, and delicious food. Even inside I can hear the steady crashing blows from our closest neighbor: the ocean. One short sprint down the splinting boardwalk and I’m where I love to be most. The fine grains of sand slide through my fingers while the teal ocean, where my siblings and I have
I turned off the car and took a deep breath. Looking slowly up into the pink sky, I began to watch the golden sun go to sleep. The beach seemed deserted, quiet, but peaceful. I opened my door and put my feet out on the soft sand. I started taking my shoes off, then my socks. I threw them in the passenger seat, and then shut the door. I looked out over horizon of the lake and started walking towards the still water. With each step I took, I could feel the warm sand crunch between my toes. Then suddenly, a sharp rock, but not sharp enough to break the skin.
A new day has begun. Slowly ascending into the cold dark sky, the sun glows vibrantly with delight. The passionate colours fill the sky with warmth like the pink grapefruits, zesty lemons, citrus oranges and cherry red. The sea so subtle sparkles preciously as it strolls up against the shore. The crystal water that stretch out far into the horizon gets darker and deeper but stays very calm.
One of the first things I do when I arrive is put on sunscreen followed by extending the towel and lying on it to tan. However, I have to be careful. I cannot let myself be carried away by the relaxing sound of the waves until I fall asleep; surely when I wake up the burn will not be pleasant. Also, reading a book is a very good option at the beach. Beyond all this, I can say that the best part is walking with my friends along the beach and seeing if there is someone we know.
Ever since Sunset Beach has been officially opened to the public, there has been a drastic increase of tourists present. Television programs concluded that at least a thousand people visit the beach everyday. Reasons for their stay are that they feel comfortable with the environment that surrounds the beach front, people who are at the beach are joyous and numerous activities to enjoy, and the fresh scent of the sparkly waters, make the visitors feel calm and pleasurable. So I decided to take a trip there.
As I walked down the worn dirt path to the ocean, I was astonished by how many people were lounging by the water.. As I got closer to the water’s edge, I contemplated why more people don 't swim and decide to tan in the sun instead. The feeling of being alone with the ocean and my thoughts played in my mind.
But we did go on the boardwalk almost every night. Every night seemed to be different. We tried to experience everything in a different way. Coastal Highway, not unlike the ocean, seems to go on endlessly. When we were near Coastal Highway, I put my window down and let the smell of the sand and sea waft into the car. The rain had started, but it was only a light mist. The temperature had cooled off now too. I decided to take an evening swim. Some of the waves were raising nearly 10 feet. In the evening when we all entered the beach some lifeguards were announcing that tides are so strong. Though I was not