Crosspost - Thinking and the Beach
I think a lot. . .
It was warm the other day (89˚F!), and so after work I took myself down to the beach. This sounds like a simple decision, considering it’s just a 20 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride, but that particular day required an inner-argument to make the decision. Really, it was pretty quick, the ending thought going something like this: “But my legs aren’t shav- SCREW IT. BEACH.”
This is how much I love the ocean.
I put on my tennis shoes, a tank top, and my one pair of shorts that I have with me currently (exercise shorts!) and took myself to the beach. Best decision ever. I spent the last bit of warmth of the afternoon walking the shoreline with bare feet in the waves, and then sitting in the sand and doing handstands and cartwheels until I was laughing and happy. That was actually really nice. I’d originally been a bit sad that I didn’t have anyone to go with, but it ended up being incredibly relaxing. Actually, the water reminded me of Basel, Switzerland. It was a very similar (and chilly!) temperature to the water I soaked my feet in in the Rhine. That made me smile.
Actually, I’m finding there are a lot of parts of San Francisco that remind me of the places I was in Europe. It’s a nice way to find something familiar, however tangentially, in a places where I’m still grasping for familiarity for comfort. The beach makes me think of Valencia, because that’s where I spent the most time on the beach. And being at the top of a hill overlooking the roofs of so many different buildings and homes? That also reminds me of Valencia - I think it’s this view that does it. But then many of the houses have a Spanish influence in general (Hello, California) that makes me think of Logroño or Madrid. Sections of the Haight make me think of Brighton and Kemptown, England. And on and on. It’s kind of cool. The mall near where I work even has a number of the stores and brands I got used to seeing in Europe (though it’s interesting, a number of them target different demographics here than in Europe - but that’s a different topic)
The familiarity is definitely nice. And needed. It’s odd how even just a familiar type of toothpaste can provide comfort. Small details are important.
Almost entirely unrelated… I’ve realized that I rather miss learning and figuring out new languages. The brain challenge, yes, but also the satisfaction of remembering and using that new word, or of being able to successfully interact in a language other than English. I miss that. I think I’ll have to see if I can afford language lessons…
It was warm the other day (89˚F!), and so after work I took myself down to the beach. This sounds like a simple decision, considering it’s just a 20 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride, but that particular day required an inner-argument to make the decision. Really, it was pretty quick, the ending thought going something like this: “But my legs aren’t shav- SCREW IT. BEACH.”
This is how much I love the ocean.
I put on my tennis shoes, a tank top, and my one pair of shorts that I have with me currently (exercise shorts!) and took myself to the beach. Best decision ever. I spent the last bit of warmth of the afternoon walking the shoreline with bare feet in the waves, and then sitting in the sand and doing handstands and cartwheels until I was laughing and happy. That was actually really nice. I’d originally been a bit sad that I didn’t have anyone to go with, but it ended up being incredibly relaxing. Actually, the water reminded me of Basel, Switzerland. It was a very similar (and chilly!) temperature to the water I soaked my feet in in the Rhine. That made me smile.
Actually, I’m finding there are a lot of parts of San Francisco that remind me of the places I was in Europe. It’s a nice way to find something familiar, however tangentially, in a places where I’m still grasping for familiarity for comfort. The beach makes me think of Valencia, because that’s where I spent the most time on the beach. And being at the top of a hill overlooking the roofs of so many different buildings and homes? That also reminds me of Valencia - I think it’s this view that does it. But then many of the houses have a Spanish influence in general (Hello, California) that makes me think of Logroño or Madrid. Sections of the Haight make me think of Brighton and Kemptown, England. And on and on. It’s kind of cool. The mall near where I work even has a number of the stores and brands I got used to seeing in Europe (though it’s interesting, a number of them target different demographics here than in Europe - but that’s a different topic)
The familiarity is definitely nice. And needed. It’s odd how even just a familiar type of toothpaste can provide comfort. Small details are important.
Almost entirely unrelated… I’ve realized that I rather miss learning and figuring out new languages. The brain challenge, yes, but also the satisfaction of remembering and using that new word, or of being able to successfully interact in a language other than English. I miss that. I think I’ll have to see if I can afford language lessons…