Toes in the Clay

- - - I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand . Life is good today, life is good today. Adios and vaya con dios. - - - 

{ Toes, Zac Brown Band }

{ highway one }

It's gonna sound silly, but when I heard for the first time, recently, that East coast beaches don't have waves I let out your typical "nooo waaaay!" shriek like a 6 year old. I mean, what?! Still, when you really think about it the idea of standing on a beach is amazing. It kind of baffles me sometimes. You know you are right at the edge of this country, this huge piece of land! It's a nerdy, fleeting thought, but it's unbelievable when it really hits you. I think about this often living in the California central coast. I would think about it a lot too when I was young and growing up only a short road trip away from the beach; that same ocean I moved closer to coming to the States. Been by the same ocean, all my life.
It's not a big deal, but the idea is pretty darn cool.

{ pismo beach, 2012 }

My most vivid childhood image of that beach was the fiery hell that sand felt like! Standing barefoot for more than two and a half seconds was no joke, but I didn't mind because I ran straight for the waves the minute the car doors opened-- tiny 4 year old in her frilly, girly bathing suit and all. I'd then run back to our set up, bearing pruney little fingers, and grab some tostadas de ceviche with wet and sandy hands. No care in the world.

By no means am I your perfect, sun-kissed, flowing hair beach girl. I'm your very opposite of that. Despite living right by the sea all my life, I don't even know how to swim and I'm just too much of an overall priss to channel my inner child and run for the waves like I used to.

                                                                                                        { los alamos, 2010 }

To my surprise, turns out I'm a country girl in every sense of the word.

Country side vistas, horse ranches, and Brad Paisley. Yeah, the Mexican girl from the hot Sonoran desert beaches. The one who's also, no kidding, deathly afraid of cows.

Have I lost anyone yet?

I guess I could blame the fact that my grandparents' ranch was my second home in Mexico, apart from the polluted city life hours away. Put me, for the rest of my life, in a nice big country-like, redneck ranch an hour away from a beach and I'll die deliriously happy. I know, I'm central-coast spoiled.

Now, I just turned 22. Today. And I've been making a birthday post since the day I opened my LiveJournal, so it's a tradition now. I won't begin the long emotional lap of no longer being... 21. I'll save that one. It was another baby step.
The first of October marks so much for me. The start of the sweet, warm holidays, the best time of the year. I'm giddy already! {but what blogger isn't?} I want to say I feel... blessed. I live comfortably, I've come so far from the young girl raised in Mexico. I've got a big family and soulmate by my side.  I just bought my first car today, too. What more in the world could I ask for?

Happy as this pup sunbathing.

{ morro bay, avomargfest, 2013 }

I miss summer already, and though it wasn't that long ago it feels like a blur. Granted, it's the beautiful Californian central coast, so Autumn doesn't hit us like a brick, but it's here. I feel like we get Summer kisses year round; with our random scorching days mid-November and whatnot.

I try not to exaggerate, but truthfully the seasons affect me like you wouldn't believe. I very much respect them. They practically dictate my feelings and view of life-- everytime.
Look at me; reminiscing like it's the end of the year!
What it is is that October 1st does push a little REFRESH button, makes me push the brakes on the quickness of the passing year.

Adios verano, thank you for the warm tanning, perfect afternoon walks, the amazing Tim McGraw concert, the driving, bonfires, the fishes and avocados, the failed swimming lessons from my best friend, the stolen purse lesson-- thank you plenty.

✽terri