Sunday, August 9, 2009

Long Beach Island

I realize that as you get older it seems to become harder to appreciate and remember things, like vacations. As a kid, vacations were the best, and I still remember a lot from them. I remember camping in Otter Lake many times, Lake George, Ocean City, Maryland, Arizona lots of times, North Carolina with my mom's family, Sea Isle City with my stepbrothers, etc. And these were like the best times of my life. But as time goes on I kind of began forgetting about vacations and what they were even like.
For instance, it's hard for me to remember what long beach island was like the past 2 years that I've been, with Dan's family. Each time it was a week, in the same house on the beach, but I can't remember it much.
This year's vacation I hope I never forget. I'm going to guess that 40 people related to Dan were down there, all in houses within walking distance of each other. Each day I'd wake up, annoy Dan till he got up, make breakfast and have tea with his parents and brothers, then get ready and walk onto the beach. We'd swim in the ocean for a few hours, boogie board, get pummeled by waves. Have lunch. Swim more, read. Be around so many family members.
His family from Chicago came out for the first time, 4 of them were between the age of 15-19. His cousin from Cali came out who was my age. In total there were 2 15 year olds, 1 16, 2 17's, 4 19's, a 20 and a 21 year old. It was nuts, every night we all hung out and played games and ran around the beach like maniacs. It was much more fun than I've had in who knows how long.
We saw dolphins in the water one day, and Dan saw manta ray things swimming by us another. Dan and his brother rented surf boards and I watched them fall. 5 of us rented a 6 person bike one day and that was funny. I finally got to have steamers at pinkys, a seafood place down the street. The kids all went to seaside one night; that was interesting. This year, though, I know we spent less time with the whole family. We didn't have big whiffle ball games or Christmas in July. I wish we did.
When I came home and my house was quiet, not filled with the sound of crashing waves and breezes, it was just sad, empty. I want so terribly to live on that beach. It might be my favorite place.

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