Salt Life

Well I am more than ecstatic and supremely grateful to have made it safely to Ocracoke Island yesterday late afternoon.  I'm so happy to be here!

And boy was it windy while I was getting my tent set up last night!  I suppose if someone around had an inclination to get a video of my little erection escapade it would have been quite entertaining to say the least.  I hate it when that happens.  But I am not one for giving up.

The weather yesterday had predicted thunderstorms for the evening, and after driving through torrential downpours to do an overnight camping adventure in Asheville last weekend, I was wary of rain, and determined to rig up a tarp over my leaky old tent so I didn't get drenched.

Worst case, I was ready to sleep in my car, again, like I ended up doing in Asheville. That weekend,  the tent only made it out of the car to get stowed in the bear box in order to make room in the vehicle for sleeping.

But last night I didn't have to sleep in my car.   And, after getting the tent up, the tarp secured, (albeit cockeyed but quite effectively) I have a comfy, cozy little place to do my sleeping, cooking, dressing, relaxing, reading and whatever else I fancy.

I'm conveniently located adjacent to the "comfort stations" and the showers.  No need for my camping toilet here! But somehow I managed to bring a whole slew of other stuff I probably didn't really need.  Rest assured, I WILL get the organizational part of this camping stuff mastered soon, if only for my own sanity.

I brought my bike and my kayak (and a bean bag chair) too.  Now these are NOT extraneous items to have on hand "just in case",  but wonderful, experiential tools that bring me joy!  That is when I am not trying to figure out the freakin ratchet strap on my cargo rack! Ugh! 

But my bike made it here in one piece, so that counts for something even though getting it "undone" was a bit of an unrigging fest.  I also have extra room to store things outside of the car in the event of heavy rain. I haven't busted out the bean bag chair yet but it's there if I need it for a comfy reading marathon. I think the kayak speaks for itself.  I can't wait to meet her.

So, I stuck with it and figured out the tie down strap situation too, somehow.  I then, this morning, proudly and excitedly took my first bike ride on that blue beauty since I got her in 2020.  She did great and I had an awesome time riding the 4 miles up highway 12 into town.  But first there was coffee.

I thought I might have to get to the local coffee shop bright and early because I brought a bunch of stuff to rig up a way to boil water to make my own coffee in the morning, but I wasn't sure if it was going to work.  I'm happy to announce that it did work and the coffee tasted GREAT and I thoroughly enjoyed sipping it as I watched the sun come up over the Atlantic! Bliss!

I rode to town to take a yoga class which I missed because it took me too long to unrig and unload my bike, but I found another class that started an hour later and I DID go to that class and it was amazing and wonderful and I felt so good afterwards.  I knew I was meant to be there.

 I then went to the local coffee shop and the line was SOOO long and unfortunately, the coffee was NOT as good as the coffee I made in my tent, in my opinion, but their Green Monster smoothie that I got was pretty good.  I didn't mind the wait.  I ran into my camping neighbors there. (Small island!)

The rest of the morning I rode around town, checking out a couple of stores and the sweet little bookstore where I purchased a cute little book for my beach reading.  It's a novel by Rebecca Serle called In Five Years. 

It's a story about a woman who spends exactly one hour and five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight- and it is one hour she cannot shake.  It is an unforgettable love story, but not the one you're expecting.  "The novel is about the real meaning of love and friendship and the bonds that tie us all together."-Good Morning American says so.

When I got back to the campground I changed into my bathing suit and headed to the beach to relax and dive in, to the book, that is.  So far so good! Oddly enough, I love the beach, but I am not crazy about swimming in the surf.  

And right now the water is so grey, kind of ugly and really churning things up.  Typical Atlantic shorelines, not the gorgeous Ocracoke I remember.  I know there have been warnings about rip tides, and maybe that's part of the reason the water is not the beautiful crystalline blue that I so loved on my visits to Ocracoke in the past.  

Although, I do love to sit and listen to the waves.  I can't get enough of that and I love the way the salt air makes me feel.  So relaxed.  Last night I sat out on the beach and meditated for awhile.  I listened to a crystal singing bowl chakra alignment on my phone while I meditated.  It was quite powerful and beautiful.  At one point I absolutely felt at one with the ocean and the the earth and I kept expanding and expanding and it was so amazing!

And I do love to scuba dive.  I prefer someplace a little more tropical, however.  So, I won't be doing any of that on this trip.  But tomorrow, weather willing, I want to take my new kayak out in the harbor.  NOT anyplace where I am at risk of capsizing and dying like a man did off the coast of Hatteras just a couple of days before I left for Ocracoke.

I thought about that as I drove through Hatteras to catch the ferry to get over to the island.  I met a couple of nice good ole boys on the ferry. We had a very nice chat.  Traveling alone, but never alone. Always meeting nice people and making friends wherever I go.  

It's a good life and I am grateful! I've even extended my trip for a day and maybe a couple more since the weather is supposed to get beautiful in a day or two.  

Maybe I will get to see the beautiful blue I remember.  Maybe I will get to meet some more new friends.  Maybe I will just stay here forever...oh wait, camping in National Parks is limited to 14 days. Dang! 

So as I wrap this up, and as I sit here picking grit out of my hair, I will leave you with the one thing I won't miss whenever I do leave this beautiful National Seashore...SAND im my everywhere!  

Sand in every part of my body, even those I forgot I had! Ah! Such is the Salt Life!  But no leaving right now, just living it and loving it!!  In fact I think I will head off to that beautiful shoreline now to do some evening meditation and soak in all of the glorious energy of this amazing natural phenomenon!  

Sending love and blessings wherever you may be!