It’s 10:30pm Thursday evening, and we just pulled into the driveway of our little beach trailer at Atlantic Beach, N.C.  It’s an unusually warm January evening that promises to give way to a cooler and much more seasonable weekend, including a rainy and wet ride home Sunday. Such is the wishy-washy weather in our little part of the Southeast! But it’s PERFECT weather anytime I’m at my “happy place.”

The beach in winter has a personality all its own. There’s something so calming and peaceful about its’ desert-like existence.  Very few, if any, of our trailer park neighbors are here, and the surrounding neighborhoods are eerily still and quiet. Most of the out-of-town tourists are long gone and we blend in seamlessly with the “locals” at our favorite places. We can walk along the beach without having to worry about stepping over sunbathers or hearing the shrill screams of children playing in the water. And while there are still quite a few winter visitors here, the lines in our favorite restaurants aren’t quite as long, and the traffic flows at a steady, unhurried pace.

Lying in my bedroom that faces the ocean (no, we’re not an oceanfront property, but we are on the ocean side) I can hear the entrancing echo of the ocean at high tide just a few blocks away. A relaxing, melodic symphony of crashing waves that will soon put me into a deep slumber. There’s no better sleeping pill than that of ocean waves crashing rhythmically against the shore.

It’s been a little over a month since we came down and my husband and I were long overdue for a winter retreat. I’ve longed to get away from the everyday cares of home and escape to a place where, no matter what the time of year, offers peace, serenity, and a fresh outlook on life. I always leave rested and inspired, although a little sad that I have to leave. I long for the time when we both retire, and can come down and not worry about having to rush back home. Unfortunately, that won’t be for some time now.

My hard-working husband is relaxing in the living room, winding down from a long week at his manual labor job, as well as a tiring four-hour drive to get here. But he prefers leaving on Thursday night, as opposed to Friday, to be able to enjoy a longer weekend, and to avoid heavy daytime traffic and erratic drivers rushing to get to their destinations. Plus, we have our sweet little four-legged fur-child, Bubba, with us who demands at least two stops along the way to pee and stretch his legs. The drive is really not all that bad, as it gives us time to talk and reconnect with each other about our work week, as well as other issues going on in our lives. And Bubba is just the BEST little traveler – lying on his doggie bed in the back of the SUV waiting patiently for his next potty stop.

As for me, this is the first time I’ve picked up a pen and pad and actually handwritten anything in a very long time. As a matter of fact, it’s the first time I’ve FELT like writing at all, due to an extended period of writer’s block. But the beach will do that to you – inspire, instill, and invite you to leave all your cares behind and slip into a beautiful world where time stands still, and anything seems possible! And while this isn’t exactly my next great novel, it’s more writing than I’ve done in quite some time. For the first time in a very long time, I have hope that I’m breaking through my writer’s block, and will soon be back in the writing saddle on my next exciting writing adventure!

After a salt-air induced sleep tonight, we’ll awaken tomorrow morning more relaxed and rested than we’ve been in weeks, and ready to take on all the fun and exciting adventures that await us in our little beach town. Shopping, eating at our favorite restaurants, and walking on the beach are our usual activities, but sometimes we just like to hang out at our little trailer and enjoy the nothingness of a lazy weekend getaway. We have all the comforts of home here compacted in a two bedroom, two bath “mobile mansion”, only on a smaller scale. It’s amazing how content you can be with less when you’re at the beach!

The long weekend will seem too short, and it will soon be time to go home. Going to the beach is like going to the doctor and getting a shot in the arm that brings instant relief, but just doesn’t last long enough. Which is why we try to come down at least once a month to get another “fix”. And it’s so nice to know that we have our own little piece of paradise to come back to anytime we want!