Different Shoes

It’s 6:14 in the morning.

The waves are dully roaring as they crash into the shore 30 yards away. The air is cool and blowing over your face like a whisper of breath that says “good morning, come join the day.”

The sky is light because the moon is full and the sun is breaking the horizon—unseen because it is behind the city skyline, but it’s reflected to your bivouac on the beach by the hazy smog and the slight fog.

It’s 6:14 in the morning, and you’re waking up to another day in paradise—your paradise.

You don’t want to get out of your sleeping bag because it’s toasty, fuzzy warm.

You want to get out of your sleeping bag because today is great, it’s going to be sunny, and there’s possibility to spare at such an early hour of the morning.

You know you will eat well, be well, and feel well.

Your shoulders ache as you lift the sleeping bag up to push it into the stuff sack. They hurt a little as you fold the military poncho that you use as a ground tarp. The aching pain reminds you of the fun you had yesterday swinging on the rings like a kid, and the people you spent time with as you whiled away your time at the beach. 

You’re careful to stand in the sand you’ve been sleeping on all night. It’s warm, and it feels good on your bare feet.

Bag and backpack packed, you shoulder your bike and walk to the bike path. The sand you haven’t slept on is soft and cold, but the concrete path is firm and warm, and your feet are rewarded for carrying your burden by the tactile beauty of that which is the texture of the beachfront.

Today you don’t know who you will meet, or exactly what you will do. You know a few places you will go and see, like old friends those places are to you already.

There’s the Original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, and the Pacific Ocean lapping the shore. And of course, the local grocery store. It’s all yours.
You know you will exercise to wake yourself up, and you know you will probably do some light reading as you take in perfect temperatures and a bright, happy sun.

You’ll eat a jalapeño & cheese bagel that you’ll prepare with an avocado and a roma tomato and you’ll eat a banana, too. That’s breakfast. Dinner is up to your whim. That’s later, anyway.

Maybe you’ll talk to some beautiful girls (or guys) today, or maybe you’ll just see some of the regulars at the beach. Either way, someone will smile and say hello.

You’ll ride your bike everywhere and feel good about it.

When the sun sets below the horizon of the sea, when the air grows cold and everyone retreats to their homes to stay warm, or when they go out to party with their friends, you’ll ride a couple miles up the beach and bed down. You’ll be just where you were this morning, and you’ll have a smile on your face because you had a good day, and you’ll know tomorrow will be a good day, too.