If it were up to me, I would be at the beach every single day of the week, all year long. Being from Miami, that's not hard. I spent our last Christmas morning at the beach with nothing but a little cardigan to give me some warmth. As cliche as this may sound, the beach is my happy place. It's where I feel most at peace with myself. The beach is where I do all my creative thinking, professional thinking, and relaxation. Beside from these, there are a couple of extra bonuses that I absolutely adore about spending my free time at the beach.
1. Snorkeling with the ocean life.
My favorite unexpected encounters are those when I come across baby sharks. Sometimes, if I get lucky, I'll be snorkeling and a little nurse shark will swim the surface below me. Other times, I've come across stingrays and sea turtles. Sometimes even manatees! It's a beautiful feeling to be swimming side by side with these creatures.
2. When a little fish claims you.
You know how sharks always have a little fish swimming next to them? Sometimes, it happens to me! One of these days, I was in the water just talking to my friends until one of them pointed out a fish that wouldn't leave my side. I tried everything, swimming side to side, deeper into the water, out towards the shore and the fish stayed by my side the entire time! For an hour, my little fish friend swam by my calves. It even trusted me enough to grab him and hold him in the palms of my hands. No better feeling than feeling like a mermaid.
3. Feeling the sun beam on your skin.
I love walking out of the water and rolling right on to my towel right under the sun. With the cool water and the warm sun beaming on my skin, there is nothing that can stop me from having a relaxing day. PSA: don't forget to drink water! You'll definitely need it if you're planning on spending the day out in the sun.
4. Finding beautiful marine gems.
Snorkeling for some ocean goodies! I love skimming the bottom of the water for conch shells, sea urchin shells, sea glass, sand dollars and other shells I can take home! I also love going on a search for star fish but no, I don't take those home! They are gorgeous creatures! If you ever pick one up, make sure you place them down the right way. If you leave the starfish on their backs they won't be able to flip over and will die.
5. Jamming out to your favorite playlist with your friends.
It's always a good time at the beach so when you spend it with friends, it's even better! I love when my friends and I plug in our favorite playlist and jam out to our favorite songs! We bring out the volleyball or the soccer ball and get a little competitive game going as well.
6. The smell of "beach".
The combination of ocean breeze and sunscreen is my favorite scent! If I could mix the two and make it into a candle, I so would. This smell is so distinct that it automatically puts me into a mode of relaxation. This smell tells me to sit back and rewind. I love it.
7. The after beach skin care.
Aloe! Aloe Vera! I love coming home from the beach, taking a shower and then rubbing aloe vera all over my skin. Aloe is great for rehydrating your skin, especially after a long day of being under the sun and in the salty water. Pro-tip: Keep the aloe vera jell in your refrigerator so that when it's rubbed into your skin, it's nice and cool.
