Oh, the Beach

If you've been following for a bit, you know I work at a camp that is right on the ocean. Sadly, we do not have a beach. It's beautiful out here; you can smell the salty air, delight in the bay breeze, go splash by the dock. But the most sand we have anywhere on camp is the volleyball court. And yet, Gussy wants to know what inspires us about the beach for her weekly inspiration workshop.

While I do love it here, I long to be on my study abroad again, swimming, and snorkeling from the beautiful beaches of Fiji and Australia. Oh my, those waters were crystal clear, cool and refreshing, and made me seriously re-evaluate if I should ever swim in the Gulf of Mexico ever again.

This is a picture from Bounty Island, Fiji. Did you know that Fiji is not just a nation of one island, but a nation of dozens of islands, some of which are only itsy bitsy little blips of sand. We did a study project here, one which involved much snorkeling, swimming, and walking the sand. Sounds hard, right?

A few weeks later we traveled to Magnetic Island just off the coast of North Queensland, Australia and hiked about 45 minutes to this beautiful little beach named Horseshoe Bay. Aside from the microscopic Box Jellyfish hatchlings that kept stinging me, I couldn't imagine anything more perfect than this little inlet. We hiked for about an hour to get there, over a gorgeous rocky-but-green trail. And my, was it ever worth it {(at the time I did NOT like hiking)}. It was a nude beach {(and very secluded)} and that squicked a bunch of people so we didn't do as much exploring as I would have liked. But it made my stare in awe and appreciation all the same.

And then, I found myself in Sydney on a brisk winter's day, walking along the beaches so famous for their waves. It was overcast and drizzly, but it was gorgeous all the same.

It's memories of places like this, of soft sand, clear waters, and breath-taking beauty that inspire me to work harder, be more proactive about things. If I want to see more places like these I have to finish my thesis, find a full-time job, stick to my spending goals. I have to get creative with the way I live and the way I travel. More importantly, I have to comitt myself to protecting these places. What good is it if I get to see them if I don't live in a way that my children will? A great recent reminder of these was my trip to Israel where we saw beaches like the one from The Dead Sea, or this one frm Eilat.

If the thought of beaches like this, and practially being able to feel the salt in the air, the wind on your face, and the sun on your skin isn't inspiration, then I don't know what is!

How does the beach inspire you?