Christine picked me up early Sunday morning to go to the beach. Armed with beach chairs, sunscreen, Jay-Z’s book Decoded, I was ready to do absolutely nothing.
Summer is supposed to be the time to take things slowly, but I’d been on full-speed all summer, and this trip to the beach was my first opportunity to relax. Between work, visiting friends up and down the mid-Atlantic, and studying for the GRE, I had little time to get outside and enjoy the sun. To make matters worse, the catchy “Stronger Than the Storm” jingle was constantly stuck in my head, tormenting me at random moments throughout the day. So when Christine suggested that we bask in the summer sun, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
Fresh off of taking the GRE the previous morning, I felt like the grey cloud that hung over my entire summer had finally made way for clear skies. We chatted the whole way to the beach, only interrupted by the directions from Google Maps. The beautiful weather brought a huge crowd to the beach and despite our arriving at the beach before 10:30, parking was limited.
Space on the beach, however, seemed abundant, and we quickly set up our beach chairs before lathering on the sunscreen. In recent years, the Jersey Shore has become notorious because of the MTV show of the same name. While the phrase “Jersey Shore” may conjure images of boardwalks teeming with people looking for a rowdy party, this beach was anything but that. Kids and adults of all ages were enjoying the sun, the sand, and the ocean, and the only shops across the street were selling pizza and hoagies and board shorts. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the water where we were sitting had been cordoned and designated only for surfing – something that I had never seen at a New Jersey Beach.
When the sun had zapped all of the moisture from our skin, Christine and I walked down to the water to cool off in the waves. Unlike the cold water of the West Coast beaches, this water was warm enough to comfortably enter without hesitation.
To add to our gratifying trip, we also witnessed a marriage proposal in the form of one of those small airplanes that usually flies across the sky advertising local bars and eateries. This plane message, however, read, “Michele, will you marry me? Ron” The crowd of beachgoers broke out in applause, as the happy couple happened to be sitting a few umbrellas away from us.
I’m happy to report that my first visit back to the Jersey Shore following Superstorm Sandy last October was one of my best visits to the beach. I was incredibly impressed by the strength and the resiliency of the beach town community. While damage from the storm was still visible in some areas, the boardwalk had been rebuilt, complete with new bike stands. My visit goes to show that New Jersey truly is #StrongerThanTheStorm.