The Sight of Seal Beach

Before I start this entry, I would like to apologize to Kuya Bong for the lack of Gil stories in my blog. I've wracked my brain but I can't seem to recall those priceless gems at the moment. Don't worry, I promise to write them as soon as I remember them.

Moving on... Last Thursday, Liz was off from work so she, Aidan and I made plans to hie off to Seal Beach. (Kuya was envious because he had to go to work.) We were so excited about our little excursion that we overdid the preparations. We went shopping for different kinds of sunblock, and of course, SNACKS! We bought chocolate, chips, cookies, and soda that would have lasted a week (and they did). After a half-hour drive, we got to the beach. But before we went to enjoy the surf and sand, we had lunch at Walt's Wharf where, as usual, we ate more than we should have. (This explains why the snacks we brought were not immediately consumed.) We had seafood dishes which we topped off with Turtle Pie. Yummy!


After our overconsumption of calories, we were finally on our way, beach paraphernalia in tow. We first saw the sand, but because the sand rose a bit in a way that concealed the sea, we had to go closer to actually see the water. This induced strange behavior in me. When I heard the sea, I ran up the sand to see it, and tears actually came to my eyes. Well, I didn't exactly bawl like a baby, but I have to admit my eyes became a bit misty when I saw the water. I REALLY miss the beach, more than I ever expected to.


After my brief brush with sentimentality, Liz and I sat on the beach to catch some sun. Aidan enjoyed playing in the sand with his shovel and pail, and I just enjoyed hearing the waves and feeling the sun on my skin. The water was a bit cold so I was hesitant to go in. But shortly before it was time for us to go home, Aidan persuaded me to play knee-deep in the water. After a few moments of playing in the waves with Aidan, I was convinced that I could handle the water. Next time we go to beach, I'll try swimming, even if the water is not as warm as I am used to.

If I lived in California, I would probably find myself on the beach pretty often. Then again, I was pretty near the beach back home and I didn't go there as often as I would have wanted. When I get back to the Philippines, I'm going to take a few weeks to decompress from my stay in the US at the beach. Being near the sea will recharge me and prepare me for my re-entry into the real (working) world. That's a year from now though, so in the meantime, I'm going to soak up as much California sun as I can.