Margaret Farris "My Sacred Place"

We all have that one thing we do or that one place we go to just escape from it all. For some its to bury themselves in a book, for others its as simple as turning on a radio: for me, its going to the beach. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of the salt in the air, the breeze hitting my face, the sand between my toes: its my own paradise. It doesn't matter how bad things get or how much i think i am in over my head, all i have to calm myself down and refocus is step onto that sand. I grew up in Virginia Beach right on the water, in one way or another, every aspect of my life revolved around the beach. Whether it was for amusement, recreation, relaxation or peace, I spent more time at the beach than i did anywhere else. Later on in my life my parents decided to move us out to the country, our once quiet neighborhood was turning into crowded, busy place and my parents were not satisfied. Even though we had only moved about 30 minutes away, I felt as if a part of me had gone missing. I no longer could escape my problems by walking out onto the Beach, it was a very hard adjustment. I could never find anything or anywhere else that made me feel the way to Beach could. So as soon as i could drive, i made weekly trips out to visit my old friends and to put my mind back at ease. Ever since i have made a weekly trip, even in the winter, to the place where i feel most at home. As soon as my feet hit that sand, my hair flows in the wind, & that smell grabs a hold of my senses, everything else in life ceases to exist.