Living in a Beach Town

As someone who grew up in Atlanta but now lives at the beach, it is never lost on me how lucky I am to live where I do now. I loved Atlanta. It was a gift to grow up there.

When my parents moved to the beach outside of Jacksonville, Florida, I remember feeling shocked. We went to the beach every summer, but it wasn’t anything I was crazy about. I never dreamed of living near the water.

As I spent time here over the years on my college breaks, I grew to love it. How could you not?

Sunrises on the beach - ice cream after dinner at the local coffee shop - palm trees everywhere - mild winters filled with sunshine - no traffic (sorry, Atlanta) - tanning and reading - playing in the ocean.

Now that I’ve lived here full-time, I am determined to really soak up every bit of this beach town. I want to make sure I am not taking for granted where I live, because I love where I live. I work as a school administrator, so my summer schedule is much more flexible.

I didn’t want to make a summer bucket list because I know myself; I would love the idea and then never do anything on the back end. I still wanted to make the most of summer living at the beach, though.

I started a running list on my phone filled with things I always say I want to do. That way, when I have a free day or want to get out of a rut, I can pull it up and see what I’m in the mood for.

So far this summer, I have:

• Eaten at the seafood place by the water that I love but never make it over to

• Gone to the sunrise at the beach several times

• Went out of my way to grab coffee at my local coffee shop before work

• Made it to the run club at the beach on Friday mornings

• Packed a bathing suit and chair to sit by the ocean after work

• Had pizza on the beach for dinner

• Met a friend for dinner at our favorite brewery and food truck spontaneously

• Walked to the library to pick up books in person

• Completed driveway workouts in the Florida heat

• Stayed at the beach during an afternoon thunderstorm

• Played cards

• Embarked on several beach neighborhood walks with friends, stopping at little free libraries always

• Went to a minor league baseball game

• Attended a pool party

There are so many more things I want to do, but I’m proud of myself for this start. It goes without saying that most weekends are spent sitting happily on the beach.

My city is filled with incredible food, art, music, and activities. I want to soak up every minute of it, especially in this season of life. The great thing about living at the beach in the summertime is that many of the fun things to do are free or low-cost.

I hope that you are all making the most of your summer - however you want it to look!

XO

Emma