Life's a Beach

Crystal Cove State Park, CA.

When you've been away from home long enough, you become very aware of things missing from your life to which you never really gave enough credit. For myself and others from sunnier parts of the country, it has been consistent access to the beach that we often miss the most. In Orange County, I was 20 minutes from the beach, and you bet I took advantage of that every chance I got. My first job was actually at a Boy Scout camp located in Newport Harbor, so sun and sea water were big parts of my 9 to 5.

When I got to New York, people assured me that Coney Island and Far Rockaway would be worthy substitutes, so you can imagine my disappointment when they weren't. I don't know if it was the massive crowds, the lack of decent waves, or almost stepping on needles several times, but my hopes of enjoying days at the beach similar to those at home were quickly dashed. Most days of the year it's too cold to even go, and when the weather is nice enough to go, everyone and their mother gets the same bright idea. To be honest, the problem is most likely with me: I've been spoiled rotten with beaches back home, so my standards are probably way too high. (Then again, I think it's only fair that a beach to be free of needles. That's all I ask).

But it's not just the beach that I miss; I miss nature in general. Yes, technically Manhattan is an island, but aside from the parks, nature is hard to come by out here. The buildings seem to go on forever sometimes, and whatever trees and bushes there are along the streets just look sort of sad. That was one of the first things I noticed about New York and how different it was from Orange County: nature is not very well integrated here. The parks feel almost quarantined off from the rest of the city, and it's hard to find peace in the tranquility of nature when the buildings are imposing behind the trees.
If there's one thing I've learned from my own experiences and from others coming from the same area, its that we Californians need our fix of nature. Otherwise, the feeling of not experiencing genuine outdoors will start to gnaw at you if it goes unsatisfied for too long.

So my advice to the reader: you need to make an effort to schedule time out of your week to be surrounded by nature. In the short term, time in your favorite park will suffice (I go to Battery Park because it's close to my building and the sound of the ocean is very soothing. The Cloisters are also amazing for little get-aways). You should also make an effort to get out of the city completely to somewhere more secluded, such as upstate New York, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. It really doesn't matter, as long as you properly soak in the splendor before you return to city life. As for the beaches, well, you just have to make peace with them, unless you want to go all the way out to the Hamptons.

On top of your already busy lives, scheduling time to be outdoors seems like a big hassle. But just like any other necessity, you'll make room for it. Like any other good thing in our lives, you won't realize how much you miss it until it's no longer there.