At heart, I am a beach bum. I grew up in southern California, spending the summer vacationing at the beach, so it’s no surprise that I feel most at peace at the beach.
I currently live south of Houston, Texas, so I’m only about 40 minutes from the beaches at Galveston. The Gulf definitely isn’t the Pacific Ocean, but it’ll do in a pinch when I’m desperate for some beach. On this particular day, in mid-June, it was an absolutely perfect beach day.
Picture it: The weather was in the low 90’s (*F), with average humidity for the area (about 50% humidity), and a slight breeze. The tide was low so there was a lot of beach to lay out on, and the waves were so calm that you could easily swim in the ocean without waves crashing over you.
I never go to the super popular beaches along the seawall, I always go a little off the beaten path. If you drive east, like you’re going to East beach, there is a neighborhood. In between the neighborhoods are sections of beach that aren’t as populated. Those are my favorites. There are a few spots with structured dirt parking lots, but my favorite place is just a pull-off on the side of the road. In the summer, it can get pretty busy even at this random beach spot, but it’s still nothing compared to the popular beaches closer to town. You also don’t have to pay for parking, which is a plus.
On this perfect beach day, I walked a little bit farther away from the beach entrance and away from the larger groups of people. I, personally, prefer seclusion and being away from people – but this is especially true with COVID-19. I know that we’re not supposed to go out and be in “the public,” but my hope is that being outside at the beach, away from people is safe enough that I stay healthy. I’m someone who can’t spend weeks on end alone in my apartment, never going anywhere, so beach days are necessary to heal my soul. The salty sea air helps, too, except I’m sure that the Gulf water isn’t the greatest.
I set up my blanket, laid out my towel, and layered on the sunscreen. I’m someone who can’t tan and always remains pale, so I try to practice safe skin care.
I also brought some cold water, fresh strawberries and crackers to munch on because I know that I always get thirsty and hungry after swimming. Some people bring BBQ’s and coolers and umbrellas and lots of other things to the beach, but I usually keep it simple, especially when I’m just traveling by myself.
Once I felt like the sunscreen soaked in, I headed into the water! I love swimming and playing “mermaid” was one of my favorite games as a little girl. I’m someone who can stay in the water for hours, hardly feeling the time pass and soaking up the sun – even in the frigid Pacific Ocean water. The Gulf is much warmer than the Pacific and slowly warms throughout the summer. By August, the water is almost like bathwater, which is, unfortunately, perfect for hurricanes. On this day, the waves were so calm and the swells were small. I’d never experienced a day like this in Galveston, where I could swim out and go deeper and deeper if I wanted to. The last time I had been in Galveston, it was windier and the waves would come crashing over your head every minute or two, exhausting you. I much appreciated the calmer seas.
I repeated the cycle of swimming, tanning, munching and then swimming again throughout the afternoon. The perfect day.
Eventually, the sun set and it was time to go home. I’d stayed longer than most people, but there was still traffic back into town.
I haven’t been back since this perfect day, but it makes me excited for the rest of summer.
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Thank you for reading! Have you ever been to Galveston before? What is your perfect beach day? Let me know in the comments below and like this post if you want more like it!
Xoxo’s
Emmalee
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Emmalee Mauldin 