Spontaneous Beach Trips.

Part of the lure of moving to the West Coast, and San Diego in particular, was the weather and the energy.

It's pretty much the same temperature year-round... Between the mid-50s to the mid-70s. Which given where I had been living in the previous 14 years, is something I consider stable and warm. Also, it's sunny nearly most days. And the pace of life is easier-going. 

Especially here in the North County, in Encinitas. 

It's why people want to live here. Sun. Weather. Attitudes. And the beach...

I had a busy week at work. Not stressful. Just busy. And I decided to cut out an hour early (having put in just over 40 hours already) to hit the beach at the last minute.

Well, actually... My intention was to leave early so that I could hit a 5:30pm Bikram class in my hood. But after I got off of I-5 and onto Encinitas Boulevard, instead of turning left onto the Coast Highway, I drove straight, and found parking in the street. 

It was clearly meant to be.  My impromptu trip to the beach.

Yes. I was going to wind up week by hitting the beach after work. 

Earlier this Spring, I'd taken to keeping a beach towel and sunblock in the back of my SUV. As well as flip flops.

So I pried off the heels I'd been wearing all day, put on the flop flops, and walked myself, my towel, and my Kindle to the sand. 

I was wearing jeans and a blouse. Not beachwear.

But it didn't matter. I wasn't going to get into the water. I just wanted to read.

It was still pretty busy from the day. School isn't in session, so there were plenty of teenagers.  But I found a good spot on a hill, laid out my towel, and took out my Kindle.  

I read for an hour, as the Sun dropped lower in the sky, and the beach started to clear a little.

This was the kind of life I'd been looking forward to... Spontaneous stops at the beach and a good book.

The book I am reading is one that was released this week called, "Ayahuasca: An Executive's Enlightenment." And while it's a good read so far, quite frankly, this is a book I should have written.

And probably will.  

It's the Sun. The ocean. The energy of life. This is a good kind of spontaneity. 

I was relaying this story to my acupuncturist this morning. 

"I grew up here. And I've done that kind of thing maybe 15 times in my life," he said.

I was surprised.

"The beach is part of the reason I moved here, specifically to Encinitas," I said.

He told me I was living a charmed life. 

I appreciated that. I am working hard to cultivate a life that charms me.