Life gets kind of hard sometimes. I'm not trying to be cynical or angsty or anything, it's just the truth. Schedules get crammed with appointments and obligations often take priority over adventures. That is just the way the world works. It is part of being a responsible and fully functioning adult (which I have been trying to do lately.) However, the wisest people I've met understand the importance of fun. Fun is a healthy and totally necessary part of life. Taking time for yourself to relax is just as important as paying your credit card bills and buying groceries. It might be more important. Feeding the soul as well as the body, and all that...
Anyways. It's important to have little escapes every once in a while and this past winter, my parents invested in a semi-permanent escape. They bought a beach cabin on Hood Canal about an hour and a half out of the city and it is honestly the best thing that has happened to our family in a while. A cute little two-bedroom on the South shore with a wood burning fireplace, a lush green lawn, and a party-perfect patio.
Beaches in the Pacific Northwest are way different than the ones in Southern California. For one thing, they aren't as warm. The mornings here tend to be overcast, but the afternoons are the perfect temperature. The beaches are covered in rocks and shells instead of sand, and change dramatically with the tides. I've been adventuring and investigating the sea life and am so far pretty impressed. There are starfish, mussels, tiny fish, clams, crabs, and tons of oysters. You can literally pick an oyster up off the beach and shuck it and eat it right then and there. It's incredible.
It is so easy to be happy here, especially because my parents already seem so relaxed and at home. I am having so much fun watching them settle in and am loving how this new purchase is encouraging them to escape the city more often. I think that it is way too easy to get stuck in a routine and sometimes it takes a big dose of spontaneity and faith in order to rediscover the fun.
(Plus, it doesn't hurt that the fridge is always well-stocked and there is an adorable nail salon just a couple minutes away!)
