I've lived all around the world (literally) and I didn't grow up anywhere near any beaches (unless you count the rocky shores of Lake Superior where the water is ice cold year round). In the almost 3 years here, we have grown to absolutely love the beach life. It's almost like year round vacation. The attitude on the beach is different. People's outlook on life is different here. It's almost like Hawaii, but the tans are MUCH lighter! :o)~
This is where seeing a deck full of flip flops is normal. It's where having an outdoor shower is not only normal, but necessary. It's where people go to church in tank tops, shorts and flip flops (their Sunday best flip flops, mind you). This is where people warn you that projects could be postponed because the Rock Fish (or whatever species) are running and you're about to lose half or all of your crew to fishing poles. Our church holds surf-camps rather than soccer camps. Our youth group meets on the beach in swim suits, to play beach games, and hold Bible talks. Half the population here deals directly with tourists (or tourons as we call them(behind their backs of course)) and the other half deals indirectly supporting the others.
We were blessed with the beautiful house right on the Currituck Sound, with a million dollar view of the sunset every night. And then we're only a 10 min drive to the Atlantic for a dip in the sandy, salty, soothing ocean. We've learned to overlook the crowded conditions of summer, and to cherish the quiet solitude of the rest of the year.
Everything has its trade offs of course. It's very expensive here. For example, gas is 20 cents more than just over the bridge from here, and 30 cents more than in Chesapeake. Groceries are expensive. Because we're such a small place, there a things that you don't get a lot of choices to pick from. The people here are great and we have a fantastic church family, yet the population here is rather, "homogeneous"; something we've grown accustomed to, but it really stands out when we leave the beach to go anywhere else.
We're not going to be far, and we will be able to come back rather frequently, but it's not the same as living here. There's nothing like it in the world.
This is where seeing a deck full of flip flops is normal. It's where having an outdoor shower is not only normal, but necessary. It's where people go to church in tank tops, shorts and flip flops (their Sunday best flip flops, mind you). This is where people warn you that projects could be postponed because the Rock Fish (or whatever species) are running and you're about to lose half or all of your crew to fishing poles. Our church holds surf-camps rather than soccer camps. Our youth group meets on the beach in swim suits, to play beach games, and hold Bible talks. Half the population here deals directly with tourists (or tourons as we call them(behind their backs of course)) and the other half deals indirectly supporting the others.
We were blessed with the beautiful house right on the Currituck Sound, with a million dollar view of the sunset every night. And then we're only a 10 min drive to the Atlantic for a dip in the sandy, salty, soothing ocean. We've learned to overlook the crowded conditions of summer, and to cherish the quiet solitude of the rest of the year.
Everything has its trade offs of course. It's very expensive here. For example, gas is 20 cents more than just over the bridge from here, and 30 cents more than in Chesapeake. Groceries are expensive. Because we're such a small place, there a things that you don't get a lot of choices to pick from. The people here are great and we have a fantastic church family, yet the population here is rather, "homogeneous"; something we've grown accustomed to, but it really stands out when we leave the beach to go anywhere else.
We're not going to be far, and we will be able to come back rather frequently, but it's not the same as living here. There's nothing like it in the world.
5 comments:
We are going to miss you!
Marie
Getting to know you and your kids has been one of the best experiences of my life. I am thankful for the time we have shared. God is moving you to a new place, but we will remain friends forever... even for eternity. Keep those flip-flops handy, 'cause you have a standing invite to come here and enjoy the beach whenever you can work it in. Love ya!
So sorry that our goodbyes were so brief on Sunday...will take that as a sign that it really isn't goodbye...I too am thankful for the oppurtunity God gave us to know you and Juan and to pray daily for your family, jobs and childrens needs...we will miss you and pray you will come back frequently.
Don't want to talk about it...
Aww sweetie, you sound so sad. I could tell you all kinds of things that are meant to make you feel better, but I'm not in the immediate situation....and it's okay to be sad.
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