Back to the Beach

“My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean
sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For the past decade, summer has been a time for me to travel and explore the world around me.  Many past summers I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel for weeks.

While the summer of 2020 was very different, I was thrilled to have the chance to spend time enjoying the healing powers of the ocean.  After months of dealing with the stresses of our new normal, the beach was the perfect place to be!  The sounds, sights, and smells took me back to a simpler time.

Each Morning, I started my day on the beach before the sun.  I had to wait for quite some time for my camera and lenses to acclimate to the humidity and changes in temperature between my room and the outdoors.  After the first day, I made a point to put my gear on the balcony an hour before going out to photograph.

Although I am drawn to the more intimate scenes while at a location, I also took some pictures of the wider landscape views as the water danced before me.

One morning, I was in complete awe as I was able to look in one direction to watch the moon set and in the other to watch the sun rise.

Each day we were welcomed with a new, beautiful scene.  One evening, Randy and I spent gazing at the stars in the sky.  The moment was so perfect that the only pictures of that night sky exist in our memories.

Each morning I photographed these flowers which were located right behind where we were staying.  Their beauty greeted me first thing each morning.

I will always be grateful for the time I was able to spend having socially distant time at the beach this summer.  The trip allowed me to spend time with Randy away from all of our daily responsibilities and put my mind in a pre- Covid place, if only for a while.

I look forward to the next time I can get back to the beach!