We headed out together about 10:30 AM. I had no idea what to expect. Things haven't been going too great for us this year. Between the job changes and going so long without time alone together, I wasn't sure what the week would be like. Maybe we'd get into an argument right off the bat and then the rest of the trip would be me walking on eggshells. Maybe we'd find out we like/dislike very different things and we'd have new hurdles to overcome. But maybe, just maybe, we'd find out that we still love each other more than we thought. Maybe we would remember what it was like when it was just the two of us with no other responsibilities in our world except to each other. That was what I was hoping to find. I left for vacation determined to do whatever it takes to avoid arguing, and I hoped Tim felt the same way.
As we drove, we both seemed very excited about the coming week. We both knew we needed this, and that it was long overdue. We drove 6 1/2 hours to the Long Beach, CA area (Costa Mesa) holding hands, smiling, and feeling the pressures of life fading with every mile we put behind us. As we entered CA, I was surprised it looked like it did. They never really explain to you in public schools what the different states are like. I pictured beach, a desert area, and vineyards. That's all I'd ever heard people really talk about before. To see how many hills and mountains there were, and how the sand on the side of the road was so much whiter than the east coast or in AZ deserts, I was very surprised.
We arrived at our motel, which was surprisingly good for the money. For just $65/night (the people ahead of us paid $99), we got a modern room, close to everything, and the owner was running the front desk. He was a very nice Indian man. He hoped we would have a great stay and give him a great review later on, "Even if", he said, "you don't like the Indian man at the front counter." He was friendly and inviting. We loved our room and paying so little for it made it twice as great.
After getting settled, we headed for Newport Beach! The drive through the beach town was so much fun. It was everything I'd pictured...little bicycle rental shops, sundresses, neon signs and clothing everywhere, little shops in neat little rows, and peeks of the ocean between every street corner. When we arrived, it was around 6 PM. The beach totally put me into my own world like I was transported to another place. The sound of the waves crashing, the smell of the salty air and sandy beach, the sounds of the seagulls and crowds of people fishing off the pier...I'd never seen huge pelicans gliding overhead and floating just inches above the water as they quickly cover a mile of ocean. I made time stand still for just a moment so I could take it all in.
After dinner, we stood on the now dark shore, the waves of high tide crashing loudly. The air was a bit chilly, but it felt good. It felt right. I love Arizona and never want to live anywhere else full time, but in that moment, I remembered how much I really do love the beach.
As we returned to the room it occurred to me that for the first time in our married life that I could remember, we never looked at the time, or cared. We had no where to be, no one waiting for us, nothing pressing to get to, it was just our time, done our way.
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