A Visit to Long Beach

Today I am in Long Beach with my friend.  On this day before the first day of Spring, the temperature is perfect—the ideal blend of a cool, steady breeze against my skin balanced with the warming sensation of the sun!

We begin our walk on the Long Beach boardwalk.  As I observe the people, the beach, the water, I am excited about making my way to the sand.  It is just as I said while in Jamaica—I’d like to make walks on the beach a part of my daily life.  Today I get to live that intention; it’s more than a walk, it’s connecting with that inner beat that is my spirit, my soul, my inspiration. 

Long Beach is roughly 60 minutes from Manhattan by railway and this is my first trip—a mere 36 years since making New York my home. Along our walk are the remnants of last week’s Nor’easter including a wooden, trellis-like contraption (now visible due to the storm-induced beach erosion) that seems to stretch from the boardwalk to the rock formation at the edge of the beach. 

A flock of birds gathers at our feet; some glide on to the beach to perfect landings; still others soar like Jonathan Livingston Seagull.  From time to time as the water rinses the beach, we adjust our walking path just a little bit.  We neither resist nor complain when our sneakers get a little wet, we go with the flow of the ocean—an attitude I’ve learned is just as applicable to life.

While we commune with the birds, we appreciate the rocks that sparkle after the incoming waves drench them.  We speak very little, allowing each other to experience the rhythm of the ocean.  I am so drawn to the water—whether it’s the ocean or the sea.  I can feel it in me whether I am in it, walking alongside it or thinking about it.  This connection reminds me of what President Kennedy spoke of in a speech he delivered at the America Cup races in Newport, Rhode Island in September 1962:

I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it’s because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it’s because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea — whether it is to sail or to watch it — we are going back from whence we came.

Being away … an experience of gratitude!

I’ve always prided myself on taking time out of my routine to take care of myself—whether it’s long walks, sitting in the park, having a cup of coffee or tea at a favorite spot, relaxing baths, traveling for fun, beauty treatments or meditating/going into the silence each day.  What I hadn’t done in recent years was to simply get away without an agenda, to vacate the familiar surroundings of home and environs to a place where I’d just be…not sight-seeing, not diving, not doing anything in particular, just relaxing, just being.  Well, as life would have it, I planned a trip to Jamaica with very little scheduled except for daily sea dips, peaceful surroundings, all my favorite foods and visits to my aunt, uncle and brand new nephew.  What started out as a birthday getaway ended up being one of my favorite trips ever—I connected with myself and in the process with all the beauty that is nature, the unexpected, friends and family. 

Each day began with walking on the beach with my Dad where my barefeet connected with the sand (as a friend describes it, nature’s loofah) and I sought to avoid the pebbles or occasional seashells which would cause momentary discomfort.  All the while I noticed the day dawning ever so gently yet deliberately as the moon waned each day.  In fact, today, my last day of this nourishing trip, it was a crescent.  {Congratulations to NoLa, the crescent city, on being 2010 SuperBowl Champions.}  Dad and I talked about whatever was there to be shared in the moment and sometimes we said nothing as we briskly walked side-by-side.  

The sea brought its own mood to the day—sometimes peaceful and serene, sometimes excited and playful.  Whatever showed up, I soon merged with the sea (or as I think of it, nature’s swimming pool) which was as soothing as a freshly drawn, warm bath.  As I cooled down from my energetic walk, I felt the sea enveloping my body as the sun caressed my skin.  I rode the frolicking waves, swam to the buoys, came close to skinny dipping, floated and beheld the blue cloudless sky.  It is a perfect way to begin the day.  It got me thinking, ‘how could I create such a beginning to each day?’

Leaving the seaside, I would take the short walk to our villa where the smells of breakfast wafted through the air—mackerel & banana, ackee & codfish with Johnny cakes, freshly caught fish, breadfruit are just some of the meals that were thoughtfully prepared and enthusiastically consumed.   Each day brought its own specialness yet the spirit and tone was the same—peaceful, relaxing, nurturing, caring.  From the first day I realized the importance of truly getting away, truly being away, where time is inconsequential and life is lived moment-to-moment.  I even felt compelled to do a Facebook update, something I very rarely do: Sometimes you don’t know how much you need a vacation until you’re on one!  Now, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade the trips I’ve taken to France or Italy or Spain—there’s definitely a place for those experiences.  And, there’s no denying what I experienced on my Jamaican sojourn.  I re-discovered the value of being away—the value to my body, mind & spirit.  Now that is some delicious food for my soul.  Thanks Henry.  Thanks Nikki.  Thanks Helen & Vincent.  Thanks Andrea & Emmett.  Thanks Joy & Beverly.  Thanks Desmond.  Thanks Old Forte Bay.  Thanks Jamaica.