Beaching.

Today Tabby and I went to the beach. Tabs is not as big of a beach fan as I am, but said that she really wanted to go at least once this summer before we head back up to Utah. I jumped at the chance since none of my friends are here in Texas anymore so when I come back home I get REALLY bored. and worst of all... I have no one to go to the beach with, so I don't end up going as much as I want to. Today was perfect. We brought a blanket, some drinks, and some sandwiches and had a good time talking, eating, and getting a little scared in the water. Haha. I love the beach, but the water freaks me out a little especially when other people are outwardly scared I get more scared. Since Tabs and I were both a little nervous about going to far, we ended up spending a lot of time being pushed around in the shallow as the waves rolled in. We liked it.
I also loved how I was able to continue some of my old beach traditions. Back in the good ole days my friends and I would come have picnics at the beach. During the day we would go to swim and sunbathe. I don't really know how this got started, but it was always my thing to bring a big bottle of chocolate milk to the beach with me. I know what your thinking... why would you want to drink chocolate milk on a blazing hot day at the beach? I honestly do not even know why. It just was my thing and I kinda liked it. Also, Texas has the best chocolate milk. I have tried chocolate milk other places and it doesn't even compare. BYU Creamery milk comes pretty close but no dice. Anyways... I just had to have my chocolate milk on the beach today. It brought back so many memories. I even got Tabby into it. Now I just need to come back to the beach at night with some friends, a blanket to sit on, a guitar, and a pizza. There is not a lot to do in Corpus other than the beach. So we would often spend hours and hours trying to think of something cool to do, but somehow we would always end up at the beach really late at night. We called it nighttiming (you know... like the Coconut Records song?!). We always talked about our future and our big dreams. It is so crazy to think that we are living that time we always talked about, but even more crazy how different reality is from our expectations. We aren't where we thought we would be, but somehow it has worked out for the better. Since I have been home I just haven't been able to get over thinking about growing up here. I miss all the friends, the good times we had, the memories. It's hard to be here without it. All we wanted was to get away and follow our dreams, but sometimes I just want to be back in the good ole days. That line that Andy said in the last episode of The Office is so true and so fitting.

"I wish there was a way to know that you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."

Carli

P.S. A little too much nostalgia going on over here.