Last year December was a very busy period for me, as I had so many things to do when it came to my secular job being a fashion designer, to the point where I felt mentally drained.
"Amie, you need a break," a friend of mine, Susan, occasionally mentioned when she saw how choked up I was with work. "Oh yeah, I'll have some time off soon," I would reply without giving it a thought.
This kept happening until the particular day I seriously fell ill. "Girl, I told you to take a break; you wouldn't listen. See, once you feel better, I would love to hang out with you at your happiest place, the beach!" Susan said as she made me tea, ensuring I fed well to recover on time. As soon as I heard that, I wore a smile because the beach has always been my happiest place, right from childhood.
Two weeks later, Susan kept to her words as she had already made plans for me and her to go visit the beach, this time a beach I've always wanted to visit far from home. I recall telling her how much I'd heard about the beach but hadn't gotten an opportunity to visit it, and so she took it upon herself to ensure I had so much fun at the West Side Beach.
We both wore boyfriend jeans and a crop top with sneakers to match that beautiful Friday afternoon. We booked a cab for maximum comfort and had so much to munch on while we kept having random discussions on the cab until we arrived at our destination.
As soon as we arrived at the destination, I could hear the sound of the waves from the gate, and I decided to get an up-close view of the popular beach, to have something to write a review about, and to also have fun.
We paid the gate fee, and then we walked right in. The view was so heavenly, and as I walked closer, I realized the ocean was an aqua blue, the sun was so bright, a hot yellow colour, and then the clouds had some little fluffy white clouds, amidst the very blue sky.
I watched the water slowly running to the shoreline calmly, and then the sounds of the waves crashing on the shoreline were like a soothing balm to my tired mind. We both changed into our swimsuits but didn't swim. We dipped our legs into the water and felt the coldness. We began to build castles on the sand, had some horseback rides, and finally took some strolls on the beach, discussing the beauty of nature.
Susan knew just what I needed, as the visit to that beach made me feel relieved from work and stress. We ate our fill and had some juice too, and then we began to take pictures to preserve the memories.
At about 6 p.m, we were all set to go back home. We booked another ride home, and immediately I ensured I dropped a positive review about the beach on their website because it was one of the finest beaches I had ever visited and it helped me to feel alive again, all thanks to Susan.
All images used are mine.