A Relaxing Night at the Beach

A few nights ago I was stressed so I went down the beach. It was night and so there were barely any people. I thought it'd be a bit odd to see others walking around along the beach like an ordinary day but they were, just no one was swimming. Faintly lit by the glow of the surf life-savers building I sat down in the sand and looked out at the dark ocean. The only thing I could see were the small waves as they broke against the shoreline and retreated into the black that had flashes of lights from what could have been a boat. Above me the clouds parted and the stars shone done brighter than they do when surrounded by the street lights of suburbia. I tried to find orion's belt and couldn't find it until I realised I was looking at the stars the wrong way and suddenly it all made sense.

There was a beautiful sense of serenity and isolation. I was alone with my thoughts and even though people were walking past occasionally they would quickly disappear in the darkness that stretched off into the distance in both directions. There were no distractions of the internet, no funny cat videos that stop me from doing work, no traffic, just the sounds of the waves coming in and out... Alone with the sounds of the surf and my breathing. I lied down between the clumps of seaweed and talked to a friend on the phone about the stars, lasagne, puns, and other such relevant things...

It was relaxing. The stress melted away and I was calm again. My problems no longer seemed insurmountable and torturous. This is how I want to relax in the future. Once I have finished this semester I will have a day of pure relaxation... I'll watch the sun set and then lie on the beach watching the stars until it is late and I am falling asleep. Maybe I'll even walk there... I live close to the beach because I used to go a lot, but now that I can see the ocean from my window I never go there... perhaps I should change that...