After a long, cold winter, all this GoGirl wanted was a little fun in the Florida sun. Backpack ready, I set out with my beau to visit his sister and her boyfriend, who live on Ponce Inlet just south of Daytona Beach. Â Chicago was threatening rain and frigid cold, which made my new bikini just jump for joy at the thought of beach time and sun tans.
We arrived to mid-70 degree weather and sunny skies; it could not have been any more dreamy. Â Other than an awesome amount of seafood, the entire trip was based around the beach. Â I ran on the famously compact sand of Daytona Beach, so hard that the Daytona 500 originated from stock car races they held right on the beach. Â My sneakers are still leaking sand days after being home.
I went for a refreshing dip in the chill water, playing in the waves. Â However, I wasn’t the only creature swimming in the ocean; a manta ray attempting to fly kept leaping out of the water, while a lonely dolphin made itself known just behind where the big waves were breaking. Â Another beautiful activity (that the bikini very much loved) was sun bathing with a good book in hand and sun block slathered on for protection. Â Nothing beats a sun umbrella, beach towels and sun glasses when your best accessory for the past few months has been a scarf.
Even my boyfriend got in the waves, surprising because the cold water makes him shiver, but of course it was with the challenge of a surf board. Â Never having been surfing myself, it seems like quite a difficult activity– I mean, you try to balance on a wax-covered board while huge, powerful waves pick you up and hurl you toward the sand. Â From the looks on the surfers’ faces and their absolutely graceful falls, I can honestly say that I very much enjoyed watching them surf from the shore. Learning how to catch a wave can wait for another beach vacation.
One of my favorite beach moments, apart from the running, sunning, swimming and surfing, was watching the sunrise. Â There is something so special about catching the sun as it breaks color into the dark night sky. Â Helping the sun greet the day feels like such a big responsibility, but when you share it with someone you care about, it is all worthwhile. Â Sometimes trips are about adventure and other times, it is more about enjoying the people you are with and the environment around you. Â So pack up that swimsuit and head for the beach- spring weather is just around the corner!
Megs, I love reading your posts. They are always fun and interesting! This one, makes me long for warm weather at Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe.
Your, nina