I don't think I'm a beach babe anymore.
While I still am a sucker for almost any movie set on the beach (horror/psycho thriller excluded), and while several picturesque scenes in Couples Retreat had me taking in noisy gulps of air, my 10-year dependence on balmy air and sandy feet has ceased to be.
Sometime in the past year, my idea of paradise has transcended beyond sparkling waters and suntan oil.
This realization comes as surprise, for it wasn't that long ago that I yearned for the sea whenever the hullabaloo of the city, or life in general, got too much to bear. It wasn't that long ago that a weekend beach getaway could put my life back in perspective after months of chaos, and that I usually found solace only when facing the ink-black sea and its calming swishing song. And it wasn't that not long ago that I was a shameless sun seeker who coveted the bronze skin and sunkissed cheeks.
I no longer hanker for them like I used to. Life and holidays no longer revolve around island days and the perfect tan, though a part of me would always jump at the chance to stroll barefoot along the water's edge and have the sunshine on my skin.
These days, I am more concerned about SPF and sun damage. I'm searching for meaning, and while the beach grounds me, it no longer feeds my soul.
I can't decide if I feel a little sad or liberated, but I think it'll be awhile before I disappear on one of those beach holidays again.
While I still am a sucker for almost any movie set on the beach (horror/psycho thriller excluded), and while several picturesque scenes in Couples Retreat had me taking in noisy gulps of air, my 10-year dependence on balmy air and sandy feet has ceased to be.
Sometime in the past year, my idea of paradise has transcended beyond sparkling waters and suntan oil.
This realization comes as surprise, for it wasn't that long ago that I yearned for the sea whenever the hullabaloo of the city, or life in general, got too much to bear. It wasn't that long ago that a weekend beach getaway could put my life back in perspective after months of chaos, and that I usually found solace only when facing the ink-black sea and its calming swishing song. And it wasn't that not long ago that I was a shameless sun seeker who coveted the bronze skin and sunkissed cheeks.
I no longer hanker for them like I used to. Life and holidays no longer revolve around island days and the perfect tan, though a part of me would always jump at the chance to stroll barefoot along the water's edge and have the sunshine on my skin.
These days, I am more concerned about SPF and sun damage. I'm searching for meaning, and while the beach grounds me, it no longer feeds my soul.
I can't decide if I feel a little sad or liberated, but I think it'll be awhile before I disappear on one of those beach holidays again.
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