One of the hardest things about living in Berlin is that I'm so far away from the ocean. True, the Baltic Sea is only a little over two hours away, but it's closer to a lake than the ocean with its small, gentle waves. What I love is the ocean's roar, how it pulls your feet out from under you, the mist from its waters settling on your face. The funny thing is, the entire 15 years I lived in California I probably only went to the beach a few times a year even though it was less than an hour away. Now when I go back you can hardly keep me away. Ocean Beach, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Half Moon Bay...
Last year, a few weeks after our wedding, we rented a house with my family in Point Reyes Station. The day we drove out there a storm came in. It brought down trees in San Francisco and other places in the Bay Area. A few days later we went to the beach at Point Reyes. Though the storm had subsided, the waves were still wild, more crashing and all encompassing than I had ever seen before.
A few days later I read a sad story in the newspaper: A woman had been walking on that same beach when her dog ran into the waves. She went in after him to try and save him and they both were lost.
I used to think I was only really a fan of the pacific, but in August we spent two weeks in Contis Plage, France. There the Atlantic also had a strong pull on my heart and I love the French way of life. I'm sure, one summer, we'll go back.
2 comments:
I don't think I truly appreciated the beaches in CA until after I moved away, and now I miss them too!
We visited Moonstone Beach and picked up rocks in November, it was so amazing- really the whole drive up the coast was.
And strangely enough, we passed Proposal Rock on the Oregon coast and I thought how lovely and dramatic it was. We found out two days later that a couple had ventured out for their proposal and the woman had been swept away by the sea, which was incredibly sad. I think this is one of the things that makes the Pacific so beautiful is the tragic aspect.
Yes, it's true. Beautiful but also so dangerous...
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