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| Image: Stocksnap.io |
If you were to ask me where I would like to be right now, I would name the place that casts its spell on me each time I find myself there. With its endless stretches of soft, golden sand, the vast, rumbling ocean and the gusty wind in my hair – it would have to be the beach! It’s a place that consumes me with its abundance!
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| Image Courtesy: ManuBala |
Long ago, my aunt lived by the beach. It was as if she had a beach in her backyard! And, the one memory that still stays fresh in my memory is of my cousin and I – two little girls – slipping out of the house and wandering away towards the beach. The afternoon sun shone bright on our pink faces as we kept walking further away from home, oblivious to the chaos that our actions would generate.
So lost were we in our girly chatter, we didn’t realise the amount of time we had been away from home. There, in the magnificence of the beach, with the ocean and the wind whispering into our ears to hurry home, we sat basking in the beauty of the moment. Two little girls, out on an adventure of a life time, far away from the comforts of their home and the warmth of their family, out to discover the world!
And, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, our elders swooped down on us like eagles, thrashing us with their angry words, holding us by the scruff of our necks, to haul us back home for a dose of some much needed admonishment! I don’t want to remember the ensuing drama, lest it spoils the adorable picture the memory brought to my mind, but, it was my first encounter with this wondrous place that I simply fell in love with!
The love affair continues to this day.
What is it about the beach that mesmerises us with a hypnosis very few places can boast of? Is it the haunting music of the ocean, or the howl of the wind in our ears, or the soft, grainy, therapeutic feel of the sand between our toes? Or, is it the multi-coloured shells – some moving along with their occupants, and some lying vacant, but attractive nonetheless? Or, is it the tranquility despite the howling wind and the rumbling waves, that leaves us in a trance, rendering us oblivious to the worries we left behind?
I think it’s a combination of all these and some more that’s the reason why we experience a sense of belonging to the place that welcomes us into its folds, offering us some much-needed peace from the maddening event we call life.
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| Image: Stocksnap.io |
Care to join me for a stroll down that endless stretch of sparkling sand, and enjoy a sunrise or sunset, or, maybe a midnight walk under the soft glow of the moon and the shimmering stars? We could swap stories, mock life for her uncanny ways, or just walk in companionable silence, giving our mind some much needed respite. We could even let our imagination run amok with fantasies that fear to rear their head during the daily rush of our busy days!
Oh, do come along! Let’s forget life for some time, shall we? Let’s bask in the cool wind, the smell of the ocean and the gently thrashing waves. Take in lungfuls of the salty wind and feel ourselves rejuvenated and nourished to turn around and face life once again. And, as we turn to take its leave, let’s leave our imagination to linger for a while before life, with her craziness, takes over!
What’s your favourite place in the world? Do take me along with you so I get to experience your place of joy and create some memories for myself!
Love,
SHILPA…
Beautiful and poetic! The beach is my favorite place to be too! I have so many great childhood memories there… ❤
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I think it's the fact that it matches you no matter what kind of a mood you are in – it can be playful or peaceful. You can surf the waves endlessly or sit by its side and look for ever. I love the seaside too although I had hardly seen it for the first two decades of my life.
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Your account from your childhood evoked my own memories from a few years ago. We were holidaying in Goa and our guest house was on the beach. We would go for long walks on the beach early in the morning and after dinner. After the night time walks, we used to simply sit on the sand and watch the sea rising engulfing the beach. I wish I could go back to those days again. I also like the quietness of the hills, being in silence and staring at the distant peaks.
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My fav is BEACHES. The stillness, the sunsets and everything related to them- I am thankful for the time I spent in Mumbai that I got a chance to fall in love with them. I wish I could have it in my backyard too 🙂
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Yep, my all-time favorite too! Although I do love the mountains, getting up there, does make me queasy with road-sickness! Something so calming yet so exciting about vast blue-waters! Your narration was so soothing, I felt myself relax! Beautiful post!
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Thank you, Harmony! 🙂
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Yes, Tulika, the sea does have that effect on you. It can invite you to dance with gay abandon along with its waves as well as give you its silent company as you ponder over life and her weird ways!
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Ah! Bliss! What a wonderful time you must have had, Anamika! Just walk on and on and still the beach never seems to end…just like our endless train of thoughts! 🙂
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Wow! Who wouldn't like having a beach in their backyard? Eh, Upasna?
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
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I am so glad my narration helped you relax, Kala! An impromptu trip to a beach is so impossible in our busy lives….have to make do with posts on beaches! 😛
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You brought the serenity of the beach right to the doorstep of my heart……So beautiful….!
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I cant ever decide between the mountains and the forests and the beach – I think I simply love to revel in nature and I can never decide which is better… Loved reading your expereinces and feelings!
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Awww…you said that so sweetly, Sunaina! <3
Thank you so much!
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True, Shalz. At times, the mountains can offer the same kind of serenity that the beach can. The forests offer you a different kind of pleasure with its treasure trove of flora and fauna…really tough to decide! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by! ❤
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I am sure then u are going to envy me….i love by the sea and the beach is stones throw away.. loved it intially now quite bored of it….. Seeek the mountains now
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I love beaches. I love the sea. I lived for years in Mumbai where I could open my balcony window and see the sea at a distance. The sight never jaded my longing for the sea. Perhaps it's the ebb and tide of water or the sky changing shades or the sand that we can all play in abandon. The allure is undeniable. My favourite place — so many of them. Just read my travel posts. 🙂 Enjoyed this walk on the beach with you, Shilpa.
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I love the imagery your words created for me, Shilpa. Beautiful!
And what an adventure you had with your little cousin!:)
We lived on Juhu Beach for two years, the compound wall of our building was right on the. As much as I enjoyed watching the water come and go through the day, the salty air damaged too many of our things, like electronics, leather and left mildew on books and clothes 🙂
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Wow! Ramya, I AM so jealous!!! Make the most of it, my dear! Enjoy the beach on my behalf, as well, will you? 😛 ❤
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Rachna, I think it's the play of colours and moods that happens at the beach that one finds alluring. Aren't we lucky to have such places in our world where we can let go of ourselves, worries and all, and just soak it all in to come out fresher, revitalised?!
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WOW! You resided by the Juhu beach? Lucky you. Of course, it can be saddening to see the effects of nature on the things we love at home, though.
Thank you for stopping by, DA! ❤
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WOW! You resided by the Juhu beach? Lucky you. Of course, it can be saddening to see the effects of nature on the things we love at home, though.
Thank you for stopping by, DA! ❤
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Wow! Ramya, I AM so jealous!!! Make the most of it, my dear! Enjoy the beach on my behalf, as well, will you? 😛 ❤
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