Life’s a Beach … and it Only Gets Better
There’s a reason that beachfront homes topple the boundaries of normal property values. That reason, plain and simple, is this: people love the beach. People love living by the beach. People love living near the beach.
The lifestyle, admittedly, is quite addicting. There are few things more satisfying than spending some time soaking in and relishing the beach bum lifestyle – even if only for a day.
The salty smell of the ocean air and sandy gusts of wind sooth the active mind and invigorate the restless soul – at least for me. The sense of solace that overtakes me on a calm, but sunny day at the beach, is almost impossible to explain. It can only be experienced.
I didn’t always live by the beach, but I did always visit the beach. Even as a child, I knew it was where I wanted to be – where I needed to be. Beach towns also create a sense of community – a throwback to an era gone, where everybody knows their neighbors on a first name basis. Many of Orange County’s beach towns do their best to capture this sense of community.
The business owners on any given Main Street all know each other. The local kids hang out in the shops. Surfers are in the water on a daily basis with “the guys from the neighborhood” – spending time with one another because of that one common bond – the beach. The homes are built so closely together that neighbors have no other alternative but to be neighborly, to be a part of someone’s life.
Even when summer crowds become overwhelming and the tourist population sends the locals to hiding, I don’t get upset. It’s just part of the lifestyle. Tourists and inlanders come to the beach because they like it, too. They want to be a part of its freedom, even if only for a few hours.
And, as much as I would like to at time, this beach isn’t mine to keep private. But it is mine to share. I can only hope that the more people that appreciate the beach will respect the beach, my home. All in all, we’re lucky – you and me – we live here.
by Brian Barsuglia
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