i don’t like the beach…

wait, before you scoff and think, how could she?! let me clarify…

i love the beach… love the sand, love the waves, love the water, love swimming/splashing around… i love all of it. except in santa barbara. why, you ask? because the sand is dirty, there’s piles of seaweed with millions of sand fleas flying around them all over the place, you get tar on your feet if you walk around barefoot- yes, i said tar. ick. plus, even on the hottest santa barbara day, that water is still far too cold for a cold-water-wimp like me, not to mention it’s too dark/seaweedy/sandy to see through (i like to know what’s goin’ on down there and what i’m about to step on, okay?) i realize how completely spoiled and picky i sound, and it’s true… but let’s save the list of amazing beaches i’ve been to for another post, eh?

so there you have it. in the six years i’ve lived in santa barbara i’ve probably gone to the beach 10-15 times total. (despite my sister-in-law’s ever-persistent invitations)

this summer, i plan to change that. with lots of help, of course. what kind of help? ohhh just…

one of these…

and one of these…

a nifty cooler/backpack to keep my tummy happy and carry sunscreen etc. like one of these…

and of course… because no proper beach goal would be complete without one…

one of these…

to get me even more into my goal (as if the hat doesn’t do it!) i’m going to make a giant (but very simple) quilt to lay on the sand… kinda like this…

so there you have it. my goal this summer is to go to the beach as much as possible. no excuses. all of the above items plus an extra bathingsuit/cover-up, flip flops, sunscreen and a stack of books will be in my trunk at all times, ready to go. now i just have to come up with my summer reading list… ;) oh, and make a quilt. (good thing i still have a few weeks before summer!)