Everday Adventures: The Beach
You may be wondering why I chose the beach as the next everyday adventure. There’s no denying the fact that the beaches in Ottawa are nowhere near a beautiful crystal blue or teal like the ocean in San Diego that I remember from a trip a few years ago. It’s also a bit crowded, especially on a hot summer day like the ones that have just passed. But the truth is, it can be an adventure if you look at it from another view. I remember back in my mid 20s I would drive to Britannia beach at night, that was within a 5 minute drive from our home, and just sit on the beach at night, listening to the tide, taking it all in. I even remember making my partner walk an hour to get to it on a hot Sunday afternoon just to be able to sit on the beach for a few moments before walking back home. I guess this is where my mindfulness practice began.
This past week I’ve been on vacation and have made several trips with my family to numerous beaches. My father-in-law brought us to Hog’s Back park and we took a stroll to see the waterfall and walked along the path where the Rideau Canoe Club has their dock. For our toddler who was walking this path for the first time, there is always an adventure to find. Seeing the boats, looking at the rocks, getting close up to the ducks, even seeing a Pirate ship that is part of a theatre adventure for kids. We ended up at Mooney’s Bay afterwards and discovering the new park that was built, with each structure representing one of the provinces. It sure wasn’t an easy task to get our little one to leave afterwards; we still have so much more to see.
We headed down to the Aylmer Marina later in the week and checked out the beach too just a bit down the path. Baby ducks and their families were just at the edge of the marina. The nighttime breeze was so relaxing.
A good friend joined us for a stroll on Britannia beach and with a huge crowd on such a beautiful day, our dinner at the burger shack didn’t quite turn out as planned. But my favorite memory was our son grabbing me by the hand, “Come with me! Come with me!” he said as he pulled me towards the beach and got me to sit with him in the sand. I looked at him and saw a huge smile as he looked at the water and took a deep breath, almost closing his eyes. Just being here was often enough, doesn’t need to be anything grand, finding our own adventures can be as simple as just living, breathing, noticing the little things about that day – the feeling of the sand in your toes, the birds flying overhead, the families laughing and having fun – and choosing to have a good day. There’s a great quote that I thought of then, by Oscar Wilde: “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist”.
What's your favorite memory from the beach?
