a house on the beach.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

{T. S. Eliot}

Admittedly, I was a little bit of a downer yesterday. But today has changed me a little. This morning was the first time since my surgery that the weather has been nice enough to walk to work. I love the energy that comes from the 20 minutes of daydreaming before arriving at my desk, in my typical nine to five stance. I also love stopping at Starbuck's for a yummy breakfast.

There is a bridge that I cross on my way which overlooks the Jame's River. I am drawn to the water, and every now and then I will stop for a moment and step down towards the bank and just be. Now that the weather is warm, the bridge is flocked with fishermen and the river carries boats and kayaks and dogs playing fetch.  She is so beautiful in the morning.

Walking today I breathed in the James. She smelled like the ocean, and I could smell the people fishing and some one grilling their morning catch. I closed my eyes and pretended I was on a dock somewhere, hanging my toes in the water and letting my hair dance in the salty air. I began to remember an old dream: to live on a beach some where.

I imagined a small house with wooden floors and a sandy front porch. Every morning I would step outside and drink coffee in my bare feet while I watched the waves come in and roll back out to sea. Then I would probably lay in my hammock with my lap top and write. I would write the latest resteraunt review, an article for the local paper or maybe start a novel. After that, it would be absolutely necessary to strip off my clothes and spend time with the ocean. Maybe I would even spend a few hours surfing.

Once the sun had drained my energy and my eyes were burning from the salt, I would wrap up in a thick towel and fix a sandwich. Drink sweet tea. Nap in the hammock. I would do this until the sunshine began to sink into the ocean. Then I would probably have a glass of wine and dance on the shore.

The night would bring in a cool breeze and I would wrap myself up in a blanket. I would hurry to get my flashlight so that I could spy on the crabs as they ran across the sand. I would close my eyes, and fall asleep to the sweet lullaby of waves crashing and crickets chirping. My hair still salty and my skin sun soaked, I would be exactly where I needed to be.

{photo credit}