I am a water person. I don’t mean that I like to swim, because I really don’t. I need to be near water to recharge and regroup. If you want to look at it astrologically, I am both a water sign and a moon sign, so the ocean is my special place.

Growing up in southern California, I lived about 30-ish minutes from the ocean (barring traffic), so I could head to the beach whenever I needed a strong water fix. When I lived in Washington, I had access to Elliot Bay, Lake Washington, Lake Union, Lake Stephens and other areas of the Puget Sound that I could easily get to.

But living where I do in Oregon, getting to the coast requires a 90 minute drive on 2-lane highways that curve through the hills and are not necessarily safe in all weather, so it’s a lot more complicated for me to get my ocean time. Yes, I have access to the Umpqua River and it’s tributaries at several locations, but it’s not quite the same.

My trip to the coast this past week was very long overdue. And even though I arrived on a foggy day, right before the start of a storm, I felt the effects immediately. The first thing I did when I got in my hotel room was open the sliding glass door and step out onto the balcony so I could see and hear the waves, and feel the ocean air on my face. If it weren’t the end of October with temperatures dropping into the 40’s, I would have left my slider open the entire time.

This trip was meant as a reading retreat, and I did a lot of reading, but really it was an overall refresher of who I am. I took walks along the cliffs and stood with the wind blowing through my hair in the rain, watching the waves and the seals on the rocks. When I was in my room I was positioned so I just had to glance over to see the waves rolling in. I just felt so connected to my surroundings in a way that I haven’t for a very long time.

I am reminded that I need to make time for myself to get these breaks on the coast more frequently. Maybe I won’t be able to get away for 5 days at a time, but I should at least plan for a day trip or an overnight here and there throughout the year.

I feel like I am in a good place after this coastal retreat, I just hope that the effects stay with me through the harsher winter months until I am able to travel to the coast again.