A Shore Thing

I must be getting soft in my old age.

I’ve long been known to voice my distain of the typical suburbanite lifestyle, with its plasma-screen TVs and mini-vans sporting DVD players and trips to the local fast-food vendor to ingest items full of grease and salt and other forms of sundry nastiness born from $1.00 “beef” patties.

I’ve also been quick to judge those whose annual vacation reliably consist of a rented beach condo at “NJ Beach X” wherein said vacationer spends a week drinking Miller Lite and nursing bad cases of sunburn and acid reflux contracted from overindulgence of every kind.

To put it in street terminology, I’m a Hater (say it loud, say it proud).

So yeah, I’m quick to voice (internally) a snarky comment like, “Geeze, you couldn’t think of something more original to do?” or “Wow, that predictable” when people discuss their latest adventures at the NJ shore. And come vacation time, you can usually find me retreating in the exact opposite direction to avoid the crowds and maintain my belief that The Path Less Traveled (complete with the uncertainty that accompanies unknown territory) will undoubtedly lead spiritual enrichment of a higher quality.

That said, I’m not above being tempted back to the shore on the promise of freshly made donuts and perhaps an amusement park ride.

Like a carrot dangling in front of a horse, I was lead to the car at the unthinkable hour of 7:00 am (on a Saturday, no less!) while visions of baked goods and thrill rides danced in my head.

And I must admit that despite the crowds and despite the commercialism and despite the overindulgence encouraged at every turn, I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the Jersey Shore on Saturday.

But don’t quote me on it.

Apparently, riding a bike on the boardwalk in the early morning can be utterly delightful when accompanied by cool ocean breezes and, as promised, half a dozen freshly made donuts that are crispy on the outside and smooshy on the inside and still hot from the fryer.

Apparently, lying on the sand with the warm sun on your skin is lovely, particularly after a refreshing dip in the ocean. Yes, there are people everywhere, but despite my preconceptions, not all of them are loud, rude and obnoxious. Many of them are sleeping.

Apparently, when taken in small doses, the board walk can be fun. Despite a relentless affront to one's sense of personal space, the festive atmosphere that often accompanies people on vacation is contagious. And a spinny, flippy, hurly amusement park rides are sometimes the best way to cap off an afternoon of fun in the sun.

And I really like fudge, so there’s that…

I returned from the shore at the end of the day, wind-blown, sun-burned, gritty, and slightly nauseous, with fudge in hand and a sleepy smile on my face. It seems that having a great day will produce the same dirty, exhausted result whether you're 7 or 27. Fun is timeless.

So I guess you could say that I kind of, sort of get the hype that surrounds the New Jersey coastline. That’s not to say that you won’t find me on the nearest mountain or in the recesses of some foriegn country come my next vacation, but for a little short-lived instant gratification, the shore just can’t be beat.

Hello, my name is Lily, and I don’t hate the beach.