Week1A: My Blog Theme
Welcome To My Blog!
I've never done a blog before, so this is all very new to me. Of course I had to start with the theme since it gives everyone a sneak peak into who I am as a person. I chose a beach theme for my blog because I've been manifesting that I will live near the beach since I was a little girl. Does that sound crazy? Maybe. Do I care? Absolutely not - because it worked!
I lived in Missouri for my entire life. My family didn't travel much because we didn't have the money for it, but I would never blame my parents for that. This just meant that when my family did get to see "a beach" for the first time it made it infinitely more special. Before this experience, my family would take our dog for a walk at Creve Coeur Park; it had a big lake that you were not supposed to swim in because it had runoff from the dump. You better believe that I had a blast picking up the dead fish washed ashore with a stick and flinging them around like the little devil child that I was! Finally, the beach time arrived. When I was nine or ten, my immediate family joined up with the extended family on my mother's side to go to Lake Michigan. I was so excited to go to the beach, and I will never forget how beautiful and fun it was. The water was cold but absolutely sensational because I could finally swim in a big body of water. The hot soft sand was the perfect pairing for the crisp freshwater lake. I knew then and there that a place like this was where I needed to be. I had a few other beach experiences when I got to middle and high school, but my favorite trip out of those experiences was when I went to Coronado Island for a class trip in high school.
A little bit of backstory: I met my best friend in sophomore year of high school playing softball for the school team. Feeling the frustration of being on JV was amplified by the scorching humid heat of the summer, but what eased this annoyance was finding someone who felt the same way I did. Her name was Cailyn. I found out that Cailyn was from California and moved to St. Louis for her dad's work. She played travel ball and I had played for a select team outside of the school, so our friendship blossomed. Over the season we got closer and closer; we would hang out outside of school with our shared friend Maggie, and the school year was great. Then we find out that Cailyn is moving back to San Diego. It broke my heart because I had never gotten so close with someone so fast. We were determined to not allow distance to take its toll on our friendship, and made it a mission to visit each other. Fast forward to my school field trip to California. I told Cailyn that we were going to be at Coronado Island for two days and that it was the perfect opportunity to meet up. We were stoked. Everything before our final destination of Coronado was just a tease because Cailyn and I were so close yet still so far apart. The day finally came that I got to meet up with my best friend. I got permission from my teacher to meet up with Cailyn at the beach, and it was go time. With my swimsuit and sandals on I walked to the cross-walk to get to the beach. When I looked across the street I saw a familiar set of bangs, and I knew it was Cailyn. We yelled to each other out of excitement and anticipation for the cross-walk to finally turn green, and once it did I sprinted across the street to give her a big hug. We went to the beach catching up the whole walk there, while laying out our towels, and running into the water. I was so burnt after just three hours; I could've used a whole team to cover my body head-to-toe in aloe. I didn't care, though. It was an amazing experience, and six years of a long-distance friendship turned into the best roommate situation I could ever ask for. Yep, we live together now. Surprise!
All of my beach experiences have been beautiful, but as I write this I recognize that it really has never been about the beach. It truly is about the amazing opportunities that I've had through phenomenal family and friends. The beach just accentuated all of the beauty around me, and I'm so blessed to be where I am today.
I love the beach theme. I was born and raised in Nebraska. I didn't get to see the real ocean until I was 14 years old. I cried the very first time I was on the actual beach. It was so beautiful; no pictures could ever do it justice.
ReplyDeleteHey Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI really like the beach sunset theme you chose and your reasoning behind it is really interesting. Living in Del Mar I have the beach literally 10 minutes away from me yet I always seem to take the beautiful sunsets we get for granted. You're also amazing at story telling! Hoping i can read more of your blogs throughout this course :)
Hey Sarah! I loved reading your post and getting a little dive into your life. I went to Missouri last summer for my first time and as someone who grew up in San Diego going to the beach everyday, it sure was different. But getting the perspective of someone who grew up with a dream of living on the beach makes me appreciate my home a lot more. It is very nice to meet you and I look forward to reading in on your life!
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gracious! This theme really is fit for you. I grew up in Pennsylvania most my whole life. Going to the beach for me was a trip to swimming area of the local lake that had some sand put out to make it feel "beachy" and though later in my young adult years I spent time in Delaware and Ocean City Maryland. California... that was a whole other ball of wax. My bestest friend in the universe (in school) and I had always said that one day we were going to travel together to California and really explore it. Though that friendship did not remain, a new friendship that I had over the course of three years is what caused me to travel to California.
My first time to California was a LOT of firsts for me. It was the first time on a plane by myself (I was 21). The first time I travelled completely alone. It was the first time I saw the sunset over the ocean. It was the first time I got a chance to meet my friend's family. And.... it was the first time I was proposed to. California is an amazing place. And I'm so glad that you feel all of those wonderful things for it too.
Can't wait to learn together.
Hi Sarah, I was born and raised in California and lived on the West coast my whole life. Crazy enough, I have never been the biggest fan of the beach. No clue why. I like the heat, I like sunshine, but I enjoy the desert and the mountains most. I look forward to your future posts and hope you're out soaking up the sun every chance you get!
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