Contributor and photos: Linda Plante
In March 2013, after the medical office I’d worked for closed their doors, clients, staff, and friends were amazed if not shocked to hear I was planning to move to Mexico on a trial basis.
People would ask me, “How are you going to do it? What about medical issues? Where will you live? You don’t speak enough Spanish…what will you do? You’ll get bored. You’ll be tired of it in no time.”
Well this morning I’m sitting here on the beach with a cup of coffee and enjoying the sounds and sights that never cease to amaze me. I’ve finished my early morning run down Sandy Beach; it’s a morning ritual that never grows old and seems to consistently change. Some months the beach is dotted with jellyfish, giant opaque blobs in the sand, or bright blue ones which remind me to be careful while I enjoy a swim in the ocean later today.
There are mornings I stop to pick up a special shell or take pictures of a crane that seems to be posing for me. I’ve rescued an octopus who was stuck in sand, untangled a Blue footed bird from netting on the beach (that was a struggle) and watched Osprey and Pelicans scoop up breakfast.
I enjoy the quiet of the beach in the morning. Families begin gathering outside to play in the sand with their children; vendors arrive to the beach to begin a long day of selling their colorful trinkets, hats or mangos on a stick; animal lovers are walking their dogs on leashes. There are athletes in various yoga poses along the beach. Runners, walkers, kayakers, paddle boarders, snorkelers, swimmers, and those with fishing gear or buckets heading out to the water. I am literally watching as our beach “wakes up”.
The morning continues to move slowly. There is no agenda. No morning commute, no road rage or fighting for a parking spot. No grande double mocha latte with an extra shot of expresso, no rushing to get to work, no worries. There is a day full of activities should I so choose. Workout classes, cards, fishing, beach walking, gathering with old friends or making new ones, baking, reading, volunteering, off-roading, baseball games, shopping, exploring, discovering a new place to eat, a massage…the list goes on and on. But for this morning, a good book on a quiet beach sounds just fine. I never grow tired of that.
