Five Things I Learned at the Beach

Written By: Kim - Aug• 16•13

This week, my daughter and I spent a few days at the beach. Here are the five things I learned.

  1. If we lived near or on the water, I would ride my bike or walk every day. There is something about a body of water, but especially an ocean, that makes me want to get up and go. While I saw a few people using the indoor treadmills (which made me wonder at their sanity), the boardwalk was more than wide enough to accommodate everyone. This particular beach front even had a separate bicycle path. Maybe it was the constant ocean breeze, but it was a perfect way to incorporate healthy activity in to our day.photo
  2. At the beach, almost anything goes. Where else can you see someone waiting for the bus in a bikini? And holy cow, the trashy t-shirts. We haven’t been to an American beach in three years. I had forgotten about the tacky shops. Really America, we can do better.
  3. Dogs do not belong in baby strollers. If your dog cannot make it down the boardwalk, leave him or her at home. My daughter and I almost fell off our bikes from laughter when a 60-something woman was pushing her purse-size dog in a child-size stroller.
  4. The beach umbrella or cabana is worth the rental fee. It sounds like opposite day, but if I am mostly in the shade, I will stay on the beach longer. As you can see, I am not a sun worshipper. Despite my Italian mother, my fair skin, blue eyes and small amount of natural red tint comes via my German father. After I worked for a year at a cancer surgeon’s office, I am fanatical about sunscreen, hats, and shade. Interestingly enough, I don’t mind tanning my legs, with sunblock of course. So, if you want me to stick around the beach or the pool, then find me an umbrella or cabana.
  5. My daughter makes a great travel companion. Our trip this week was a girl’s retreat. She is enthusiastic about travel and is not afraid to let you see that. She likes to have an agenda. I often wonder if she will end up in meeting planning. The association world could use more people like her. The only complaint I have is that she likes to completely unpack and spread her items everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean within an hour of getting inside our room, the entire contents of her suitcase, backpack and beach bag are in the closet, bureau drawers, desk, bed, chair and bathroom.

Maybe it’s because my children are both teenagers now, but the summer just seems to fly by. My husband and I only have three more before our son goes off to college and five more before my daughter heads to college and we are empty nesters. Maybe then, we will trade the suburban house for a beach front place.

 

 

Year End Reviews Bore Me, But…

Written By: Kim - Jan• 02•13

Year end reviews bore me. The news coverage this last week (other than the US fiscal cliff) was stuffed full of stories about stars who died, biggest headlines, winners and losers of 2012 and biggest news stories. My eyes usually glaze over and I turn a deaf ear, until the story jogs my memory. Hey, I forgot about that….

I am not saying that this has converted me to year end reviews, but it’s nice to pause for a few minutes and consider what kind of year 2012 was for all of us. Overall, 2012 was a good year for me and my family.

  1. I am still employed. Bonus: I like the people I work with. How many of us say that?
  2. My family is healthy. And, we are still together.
  3. We got a puppy, Sydney, who is healthy. She’s changed our life and we love her.
  4. We took Sydney on vacation. We met the in-laws on vacation and had a fun, relaxing time.

    Sydney enjoys the summer lake ride. ©Mike Howard, 2012

    Sydney enjoys the summer lake ride. ©Mike Howard, 2012

  5. A school year ended and another one began, but in different schools for both of my children.
  6. I joined the ranks of swim team Moms this summer. My high school freshman is now swimming for his school.
  7. I like my neighbors.
  8. My commute is long, but my train buddies and iPad make it bearable.
  9. I traveled to some new places and made new friends. I also reconnected with old friends.
  10. I am still writing this blog, two years after I started it.

Not a bad year in review. Happy New Year everyone!