About the Horizon…

About the horizon…

“I’ll be right back.” I said as I shut the front door behind me. I slid my earbuds in one at a time and then scrolled the music app on my iphone till I found the sunset playlist I had made earlier that day. I pressed play and smiled as Gregory Alan Isokov’s Amsterdam began to fill my ears.

It had been a couple of years since we moved to the city of Carlsbad. We were extremely lucky to find a place so close to the beach in a price range that we could afford. I had been taking full advantage of this by doing the five minute walk down to the beach in the evenings so I could watch the sunset. It had become a nightly tradition for me and I looked forward to it all day long.

I made my way down the Tamarack Ave sidewalk, crossing the train tracks and making space for dog walkers and joggers to pass by. When I reached the end of the street I could see the ocean. I stood there for a moment just taking it in. Somehow the ocean was always bigger than I remembered it from the previous night. The sun was just above the horizon which meant I was right on time. I waited at the crosswalk for the sign to turn green. The steakhouse on the corner was busy. I could hear the chatter of conversation from all the people dining in the outdoor seating area. The smell of steak and seafood filled my senses and I wondered for a moment what it would be like to eat there. I pictured Latisha and I all dressed up sitting at one of those tables looking over the menus. “Nah, not for me.” I chuckled to myself as the crosswalk light changed.

I crossed the street and glanced down the boardwalk that led to the village. There were lots of people out tonight. Many of them were already perched along the wall preparing for the show. I walked down the concrete steps, out onto the beach and quickly slid my shoes off. The warm sand felt good between my toes. I closed my eyes for a moment as I inhaled the salty sea air. Everything suddenly slowed down. There was no hurry, there was no concern. Just peace.

I walked along the ocean’s edge just high enough that the waves couldn’t reach my feet. The sun slowly made its way down and changed the contrast in the colors of the sky and sand. When the sun was finally about to dip behind the ocean I stopped walking and faced the water. The clouds were full of oranges and reds and the mist from the ocean waves gently splashed my skin. The song on my playlist faded out and I pressed stop. I pulled the ear buds out one at a time, rolled them up and stuck them in my pocket. My ears adjusted to all the new sounds; the ocean waves, the occasional seagull and a still small voice. This was heaven.