According to Google’s English dictionary, the term broken record refers to “a person’s constant and annoying repetition of a particular statement or opinion”. When our theme for this issue was chosen, I tried to think of phrases that I myself say often or even things that I hear others say a lot. Personally, I am not the most opinionated person. I love listening when others have super intense opinions, but I’m not one of those people who have such strong beliefs, on just about everything, that no one, no matter what they say or who they are, can change their perspective.
However, something I do have a strong opinion on is that summer is the greatest season and the beach is one of the best places on earth. And this is one of, if not the only opinion of mine that no one can change. I will constantly complain about how much I miss summer, especially this time of year when it is freezing cold and the sun sets at 5pm making me miserable and depressed. And I will never turn down an opportunity to rant about how much I love summer and the beach every time it is mentioned.
Those that know me well would probably say that my biggest personality trait is loving the beach, especially considering that my dorm room this week was beach themed. And I wouldn’t take this as an insult or even disagree. I am very proud of my love for the beach and summer season and I think this is because it is a very commonly shared opinion. And I think the reasons why so many people love the beach and summer are very commonly shared as well.
The beach brings relaxation and peace —unless of course you are a mom and bring your complaining children who require all of your attention every single second and constantly need to be doing something or else they will be even more annoying. For me, sitting by the ocean in a beach chair with my feet in the sand and the sun shining is the one of the things that brings me the most joy and the best feeling of ease.
During the school year, I am often stressed out with academic obligations which I hate. But summer symbolizes the end of the school year. School is something that I have always cared a lot about and I have put a lot of pressure on myself to get good grades.
Going to the beach is something that I have always done in the summer. I live only 45 minutes away from the beach, in New Jersey. My Grandma also lives down the shore, which gives me the convenience of not having to worry about driving home or finding a place to stay if I want to (which I always do) stay down for a few days. The beach brings me a sense of familiarity, bringing me back to memories of going on walks with my grandma collecting sea shells, or playing mini golf with my family, which I think is another reason I (and many others) enjoy it so much.
Although going to the actual sand and ocean beach is my favorite part, going to the beach doesn’t have to just mean going to sit in the sand and stare at the ocean for hours. There are countless activities to do at the beach. Parasailing, surfing, fishing, playing games like Kan Jam, getting ice cream on the boardwalk, going on amusement rides, going to the arcade, mini golfing, and shopping at surf shops are just some of the things you can do at most beach towns, proving there is something for everyone. My dad hates the beach for the sole reason that he hates the feeling of sand, but he loves seafood and fishing so he always comes along on family trips, even if he doesn’t go to the actual beach.
These are probably the biggest reasons why I have such a deep rooted love for the beach and summer and why I think so many other people do too. There are a few others that I wanted to include that may not be so obvious or commonly thought of, but that still make the experience of going that much better for me. Personally, I love the feeling of sunshine and I just laying down and tanning on the beach. Seeing that I have become tanner, automatically boosts my mood and makes me feel 100x more confident. I swear that food just tastes better at the beach. Eating boardwalk pizza or a hoagie and chips while sitting on the beach, fruit like watermelon, or any other snacks and meals just taste so much better there than anywhere else. This may have to do with the sun making you hungry and feel drained, but who knows.
Going along with this idea, I always have the best naps on the beach. And I love waking up and still being at my favorite place with the sun still shining. Staying at the beach until 5 or 6pm after being there all day is another thing I absolutely love. I can’t explain why but staying on the beach for this long and reading a book and maybe even having to put on a sweatshirt because it is getting a little more windy and you have gotten a little sunburn is one of the best feelings. Being around so many people at the same exact place but all having different experiences is also something I love about the beach. I hate feeling alone, but I could go to the beach by myself and still have the best time; I feel happy and comforted seeing so many other people happy. I love the ocean- not only hearing and watching the waves crash and the tide rise- the feeling of swimming in the salt water is something you can only ever get at the beach. Lastly, sunrises and sunsets at the beach are beautiful and always worth seeing.
Summer please come sooner 🙂
