I am currently sitting in the living room in a house we rented on the beach in Sargent Texas. The house was actually better than the pictures and has the 2 main things I requested: it is on the beach (literally maybe 100 feet from shore) and you can hear the ocean in the house so I can sleep with that soundtrack. It is also secluded, there is no one to the left and the beach is completely empty which is optimal since we are social distancing.
I have always been a water baby and I feel comfortable in and around all water. My mother loved the beach as well, so many of my childhood trips and memories are from these times. As I got older, my husband was not as big of a fan and cannot tolerate heat well so we spent most vacations in the mountains. Then we went to Destin, Florida with his family and stayed at this baller house on the ocean and it was amazing! And that sand, so white and dazzling. It was relaxing and perfect. Quite a while later we took another trip with his family to Grand Cayman where we rented a house on a private beach. The water was so clear you could walk almost a football field into the water before it got too deep. We went and saw sting rays which were freaky and went snorkeling. It was my first time snorkeling and I for sure will be doing that again.
That was the last time I went to the beach and that was 8 years ago. I have been desperate to return to the beach, just for my own sanity. Something always happened or came up until August 2020 when I was like, we are going before I kill somebody and go insane from this quarantine. We knew we would probably have to keep social distancing until sometime in 2021 so Brett found the most remote beachhouse with my requirements available in Texas and we booked it. The house is on stilts, the living room has 4 sliding glass doors so you have a full view of the ocean almost 180 degrees. The living, dining and kitchen are all in one great room. You can open all the doors to get the winds from all around you. It’s like being on the beach in your house, my dream. Today is my first day here and tomorrow I get to show Baxter the ocean and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! To be continued….
Baxter adores the ocean! I don’t think he has any concept of what it is, he just thinks some of the waves are chasing him and then he chases the receding waves. I saw multiple jumps, 180’s, and 360’s over the course of the day so I would say he is enjoying the ocean. Brett is walking him in the early morning and then we all walk and play on the beach for the rest of the day. I spent most of today sitting on a beach chair partially in the water. It was cold but bearable with the sun out. I saw 1 person all day, this is my perfect beach, empty and desolate. There are shells everywhere. I am not sure why there are so many shells here but they are beautiful. Most of the road on the beach is made of crushed seashells.
It is November 30th, our last night here and so much has gone on I forgot to write. Thanksgiving was awesome, I had a premade turkey breast and I made some stuffing and mac n’ cheese. It was just the three of us. We spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on the beach. You can drive the entire beach here since most of the land is federally protected. Brett loves driving his truck up and down the beaches here, looking for shells or glass, letting Baxter out every few miles to explore. The house continues to be amazing. No one is here and we love it.
Saturday it rained, literally from 8 am until 2 am. It poured and the wind was crazy! We spent the day inside, drowsing on the sofa, barely moving and watching the rain. Sunday dawned bright and sunny but with a cold wind. No getting in the water today! We cruised the beach, got seafood and checked out the town which consists of one country road. Later that evening I was on our balcony looking at the ocean with Baxter. He is trustworthy so we would let him go down to the bathroom and he always came right back. All of a sudden I smelled a particular smell, one that I knew was a skunk. I went running to the stairs and that little asshole was at the bottom of the stairs spraying all over. I called for Bax and he came running up the stairs foaming at the mouth and stinking like you would not believe that skunk got him right in the face! I am sure Bax saw him and went running over only to get a big surprise. It was bad and we had to lock him out of the house (we wanted our deposit back!) while he foamed at the mouth and puked all over the deck. Thank god for Google! I learned it won’t kill him, it just stinks. So it was 45 degrees outside but we had an outdoor shower and we had to pour hydrogen peroxide and baking soda all over him, let it soak and wash it out. It was all over our clothes, towels, blankets, me and Baxter’s breath will never be the same. Everytime he breathes on me it smells like death. It will take weeks for it to go away. Also, who knew there are skunks at the beach??
This vacation has been exactly what I hoped for! We needed a real break, from life and the news and from the reality of 2020. I have spent the past 9 days appreciating the beauty of the outdoors and with no schedule! Phone reception was sketchy and I was pretty happy about that! Most of the time I have had no idea what day or time it is. We have barely seen any other people so we have not had to worry about Covid or anything else. We will absolutely be returning to this house and beach that no one knows about. It has been worth every penny and I finally feel refreshed!
Now it is December 10, I have been lazy about posting this and pics. I still feel pretty zen from our vacay and I have spent the past few days decorating for Christmas and checking in on my parents. I am hoping this happiness lasts through Christmas even though we will be home alone this year. Please stay safe out there and have a very Merry Christmas!
The night is calling... 