The most highly anticipated event in August was our beach trip, which ranked higher than my daughter's birthday. Both kids had a countdown on their kindles and they showed me daily, right up to the sleepless night before.
And the day finally arrived on the second to last week in August...
The drive down to the shore is a few hours long from our home, but we're always packed with enough snacks and organic packet drinks to survive an apocalypse. However, snacks and a DVD player will not keep them occupied while you're in 4 lanes of traffic and you're moving a mile every 30 minutes and both kids simultaneously have to pee. That's when you bust out the car dancing and attempt to sing frozen songs... That occupies them... But in turn, probably freaks out the steady cars idling next to you...
But once we hit the coast line, both children had their heads pressed against the windows in anticipation of seeing sandy beaches and saltwater. And they know, once we cross over the "sailboat" bridge and drive through the little local beach towns, we're almost there.
We count down the street numbers, street by street, and they take notice of all the miniature golf places and pick their favorite one.
Among a sea of condos and private beach houses, sits a timeless vintage 1950s style motel. A place, my husband and I have stayed on and off for 14 years. The facade brings me right back to my childhood and the same beachfront mom and pop motels that we always stayed at.
Then, each motel looked different, as opposed to the new age uniformed condos being built. But, all had a similar theme of seashells lined in the picture window sills and beach towels strung across the balcony's railing. People sat on the plastic patio chairs in front of their rooms, overlooking the pool, and the seagulls soared through the air, eagerly waiting for food to drop.
As a child, we would quickly eat our prepackaged foods and drink shasta soda out of the can around the patio pool area, desperately trying to get back out to ocean, so we could boogey board until sunset. Our parents and grandparents, continuously slathering us with sun block to counteract the long sunny days and us, rolling our eyes saying, "We're fine!"
The children would swim in the pool, while the adults played on the outdoor ping pong table or use the concrete shuffle board. The air was filled with 1970's music and the ringing bell from the ice cream truck was the most magical sound in the world.
My whole extended family would block off the rooms in a line and I remember bouncing from chair to chair, enjoying the conversations.
Returning each year to this vintage motel, almost feels like I'm retracing footsteps to a part of my past that was so deeply cherished. Being here with my children, enjoying the same things that I once did, cures the yearning to relieve the past. Right down to the warm baths in a freezing room and night time boardwalk walks among the flashing game lights and winning big stuffed animals on those balloon dart games.
I have so many memories from my seashore trips over the years. And from all the vacations I have taken, going to the beach was my favorite of all. I'm not sure if it was because of all the family memories, or the way the salt air changes your brain chemistry, but my mood uplifts when I reminisce. And I'm hoping, years from now, my children will have the same memories, minus the prepackaged foods and shasta soda.
-Memories of waking up and painting on the balcony.
-Playing Go Fish around the pool.
-Jumping waves in the ocean.
-Boogey boarding in the ocean. And my son's first time boogey boarding.
-Laughing so hard when a wave took the three of us out and my daughter standing up saying, "am I still alive?"
-My son putting a long string of seaweed over his head and pretending his hair was long.
-Playing Marco Polo in the pool.
-Racing in the pool and my daughter breaking away like a ninja and actually winning. In my defense, my son was on my back, but she totally did win.
-Night swimming.
-Eating mama's homemade macaroni and cheese on the balcony.
-Walking the boardwalk and stopping in every beachfront store to look at allllllllll the toys.
-Playing in the arcade and both children hand picking their winning prizes, which took almost 45 minutes.
-Taking our yearly vintage family photo and my daughter picked the theme (it was a beach theme) and she wanted to be a mermaid. So she did. And now it's a conversation piece, as we all are wearing dated outfits and she's a random mermaid on a rock in front of us.
-Riding boardwalk rides until our heads spin. Seriously.
-Playing games. And having to keep playing until they both had the exact amount of prizes.
-Playing in the beach sand, at night, under the boardwalk's light.
-And also, cuddling up late at night on the balcony and talking about our day...
...With our sunkissed skin and salt in every inch of our hair and our skin, sandy, and our hearts full...
Each year, my childhood memories become pushed aside by the memories being made with my children. When I attempt to recall something from the past, I immediately remember a funny story from my children or from one of the beach trips we took.
And what I hope for is, both of my children will always remember the fun memories and the love that was shared. And, when they're older talking about their trips, they'll have the same smile as I do.
*And I'm hoping they'll want to take family vacations with me even when they're married with their own children...
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