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.

Record Tuesday: Seaside

Seaside by the Kooks

The Kooks are one of those bands that you either love or hate. I love them. A lot. The other day when I was at the beach I was singing this song in my head. It basically is the theme song of that day.

"You want to go to the seaside? I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go. I fell in love at the seaside..."

Carli

Texas Love: Beach

One thing I love about Texas is that it has a little bit of everything. It's like a melting pot of terrain. Seriously. We have everything! A little beach, a little hill country, a few mountains, a lot of desert, a little forest...

I grew up next to the beach and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have missed the salty air and the sound of crashing waves. I have spent a lot of time on the beach in my life. There is nothing like swimming in the surf, laying on my beach towel and reading a good book, eating pizza and drinking chocolate milk in the sand, or sitting around a fire with friends. Actually I have had a lot of epiphanies on the beach. Before all of my closest friends and I all moved away to chase our dreams we spent a lot of time on the beach at night talking about who we wanted to be and what we want to do. We made a lot of goals and plans and it is really wonderful to see all of us in different places in the world making that happen. It all started on the beach and hopefully we will come back someday and sit on that same beach and reminisce about the "good ole days".

 I have never been so pale in my life. I definitely need to spend this summer soaking up the sun.

 My friend caught this little fish in his net and it got stuck. We couldn't get him out. The poor little guy died. It was terrible.

 It really was the perfect day. Not too hot. Not too windy. Great friends. The only downside was that the surf was dead, but because there were no waves the water was so clear and we got to see a sea turtle and a lot more wildlife. When the sun went down we had a bonfire and ate yummy s'mores. I hope to have a lot more beach days this summer.

Carli

Texas

I know that I am extremely late with this post. Ok I just a week late, but that is late, because I have since forgotten many things that I planned on saying about my trip to Texas. Here are a few pictures to illustrate the time I spent at home.

 Izzy & I

 Alamo

 Mom & Dad

 Hard Rock.

Although I live in Utah… Texas will always be my home.

I had a wonderful time, being with my family and friends. I enjoyed the Texas sky and sunshine, the warm air, the familiarity, and the many people that make Texas my favorite place.

Already missing home.

Carli

Beach.

Today I got to go to the beach! It had been four long months since I have felt the burning hot sand between my toes. As usual, it was blazing hot. The sun was beating down stealing the life out of my body. But I didn’t care. I was finally at the beach. I have desperately missed the salty air, and the endless view of the water. It is good to know that although it has been four months, the beach is the same as when I left it. The same sand, same water, same grimy seaweed, same little jelly fish… The only thing that is different is the people. Although there is one thing that is the same about the people, it is that hardly anyone wears swim suits that flatter their bodies. I know that is a hard and daunting task… but I am just saying that bikinis are not meant for everyone. Actually, very few people can pull them off. You may be slender, but that does not mean you can pull it off. 

Ok I will stop with the what not to wear…

Kait and Andy went to the beach with me. They didn’t dress to swim, but I did!

I went out in the water by my self, but I didn’t mind. It was just great to be out in the waves. (Mom if you re reading this do not worry. I barely went in the water past my knees. Plus there was tons of people out there. I was hardly alone.) My mom freaks out about the beach… The water was cool as it rushed past me. My mom was right the under toe was kinda bad… I just walked around a bit, did a little body surfing, mentally prepared myself to swim parallel to shore incase the under toe got me, and thoroughly enjoyed being in the water. The ocean is so powerful. Poseidon definitely makes his presence known. (greek myth…)

Although we didn’t stay long, I did have an amazing time today. For all my Utah friends who say that the Salt Lake is just like the beach, you obviously don’t know what your talking about. That slimy, smelly, gnat infested thing you call the Great Salt Lake does not compare in the slightest even to the worst beach in the world. Just saying…

Above are a few pictures to illustrate my amazing day at the beach.

Carli