Deep down everyone has a special connection with a place. It may not be a specific place, but rather a certain environment, that makes a person feel completely at home. Relaxed, rejuvenated and in complete serenity.
For many this place is their home. Home is a place where they may have grown up or graduated high school. Wherever they may have happened to spend the majority of their life, or where the most influential time of a person’s life took place. The problem with this theory is when people ask me what my hometown is I hesitate. I certainly graduated in a specific city, I lived in many, but all in the midwest. I was born in California. I spend a short time in Arizona. In theory, all these places could be considered my home, but my answer is never direct.
The truth is, I consider home a place that makes me feel like all is right in the world. This place for me is the pacific coast. Not necessarily my birthplace, or where I lived, or anywhere specific. Where I can sit on the beach without a care in the world, soaking up the seaside air, listening to the waves crash against the sand and rocks, and watching the sun the instant it disappears below the Ocean.
Today, I was home. Probably the best present I could ever give myself.
After sneaking Ellie out of the hotel, as I was trying to avoid the pet cleaning fee of $50. Either I was so tired I wasn’t hungry, or I was too excited to see the coast, I am not sure which. Perhaps a combination of both. Whatever the reason, I managed to inhale part of a waffle (my favorite hotel breakfast food), jumped in my car, and without even bothering to wait for my borrowed, aged GPS to find signal, I began to drive west.
I didn’t care where it was, I needed to see the ocean.
I arrived at the Oceanside Pier & Beach, dropped some dimes and nickels into the parking meter, scooped up little Ellie the puppy, and went straight for the water.
The sun had just risen about half an hour ago and it still sat low in the sky behind me. The waves were pretty good and about a dozen surfers were already in the water taking advantage of it. The palm trees lined the strand, the smell of the salty air hit my face and at once everything was right with the world. I spent a few minutes there just soaking in the view, then walked towards the edge of the ocean so that little Ellie could experience the sea for the first time.
I got really close to where the waves were coming up when suddenly a big wave came up and caught us by surprise. Ellie took a dunk in the water up to her ears, I had shoes that were now full of sea water and sand, and the bottoms of my jeans weighed down. I laughed at myself, and even the cold water didn’t bother me: I was too excited to be on the ocean shores to care.
After changing into a dry pair of jeans I headed North in the direction of my brother’s place. It would be a couple hours drive, at least. I wanted to get up there as soon as I could so I could find a beach to relax at until my friend could meet me. It was there I would have to say my farewells to my little, fuzzy traveling companion.
I was cruising up the coastal highway when I decided to stop for gas. I noticed a station that offered car washing. If you purchased a wash you received a discount on the gas. Relieved at the thought of my car finally being shiny and clean (and not having to endure the strange looks and questions I was getting about the salty grime that covered my car from my snowy trek back in the Midwest) I pulled up to the pump and a man came out to greet me.
“Would you like a car wash? I‘ll give you a good price”
I nodded and pointed to the sign that notated the different washing services they offered, ranging in price from $16 for a basic wash, wax, window clean and vacuum to a full out detail for $60.
“The $16 wash will be fine” I said.
“Ohh No…your car is much too dirty for basic wash” He stated, running his finger across the side of my car to show how much dirt, salt and grime had accumulated on my car. “We can wash your car for $25”.
I hesitated internally. $25 for a car wash was ridiculous. My logical side told me to decline and find a self-serve car wash where I could rinse off the grime for a couple bucks. My exhausted side told me I didn’t want to waste any more time searching for something with the GPS that took forever to work, and would loose the information if touched the wrong way. All I wanted to do was get to the beach and relax. No more detours, no more disasters.
My lazy, exhausted side won.
I felt a little cheated paying $25 for a car wash as I once again became the bag lady as I sat on the curb awaiting my car to be cleaned, waxed and shined.
When they were finished I felt a little better about the ridiculous amount I had paid for the service. My car was probably cleaner than I had ever seen it. They even cleaned the inside of my windows, which tend to get a film buildup on them rather quickly because of the inclination of the windshield and the hatchback window. The tires shined a glossy black, my Dodge Stealth’s paint shined a beautiful red with a deep, crystal-like shine.
I was no longer ashamed of my dirty car as I sped up the I-5. Traffic in L.A. was, as usual, slow and meticulous. It would take 15 minutes or more to travel a mile or two. I was ok with this for the moment, it allowed me time to take a few pictures of the signs and the buildings, and listen to the radio.
I arrived at my brother’s apartment where he helped me bring all my luggage up to his 3rd floor apartment, and we stood around and chatted. Ellie’s new owner had sent me a message that it would be a couple hours before she was near out meeting place: Santa Monica Pier & Beach. After some amusement at the puppy’s fascination with vertical blinds, I headed towards Santa Monica. A name that was familiar to my mind as a child, but I had lost any picturesque memories from that young age.
The drive was quite scenic, winding through the mountainous terrain that was green and beautiful from the winter rains they had received. Every now and then I could get a glimpse of the ocean through the vegetated, hilly terrain.
Arriving at Santa Monica Pier I parked and paid the $7 for all-day parking. I scooped up Ellie and carried her down the sidewalk to the ocean. Along the way she peed on my new Carlsbad t-shirt, a shirt I was now wearing for the second day straight because I was too tired last night to bring my luggage up to my room. I didn’t really care anymore. I wasn’t going for glamorous or anything, I was just here to relax, alone, and enjoy all six senses as they swirled in bliss at the environment.
I walked down the pier, watching the Pacific Ocean lap against the sandy beach, and the smell of food hit my nose reminding me how hungry I actually was. Then I saw them: CHURROS!
I have this small obsession with churros.
I bought myself a Churro and ate it in what seemed like record time. Oh, how I love those cinnamon-sugary coated pastry sticks of joy! You look for them in the Midwest and everyone looks at you with that confused expression and asks “What is a Chur-O?”.
Mmmm. Birthday Churro. Somehow this is one of my best birthdays ever. Covered in puppy pee and all.
I laid on the beach while Ellie discovered the wonders of digging in the sand, sending fountains of sand all over my jeans and shirt. It was actually quite amusing. I sat and watched the ocean and the sun as it was slowly getting to late afternoon. There were plenty of people there, but the beach was much less populated than what it is during the summer. Behind me children played on top of the “Walk on L.A.” sand mold, a round, tubular concrete stamp of an aerial of LA that was designed by Carl Cheng in 1988. Basically, the contraption is pulled behind a tractor and it leaves imprints in the sand so you can “Walk” on L.A.
It wasn’t long before my friend picked up Ellie, an
d after we visited for a while and they departed, I walked straight back to the pier. The sun was now prepar
ing to set and the wind was chilly. I should have had a sweater with me, but I decided that it was an opportunity to get myself a souvenir. I purchased a pretty, light blue hoodie that said “Santa Monica” across the front. It was warm, and incredibly soft on the inside. I think I have a new favorite sweatshirt.
I then purchased another Churro- Hey, don’t judge me, I only get them when I travel westward, I needed to enjoy them while I could-and headed straight to the beach to watch the sun set. I took over 100 pictures of the sun setting and paused to watch the sun disappear in those few, breath-taking seconds it took. The sun spends all day slowly moving it’s way across the sky, but watching the sun disappear is something that seems to happen in an instant. Like it sped up so that you could appreciate the beauty even more.
I can’t describe the beautiful colors of the sunset, or the serene calmness it seems to cause in everyone that still stands on the beach. I think you will have to see my pictures for that.
Another wonderful day in the life of Nicole.