Our Happy Place, in Small Doses

 

Buying a beach house barely an hour away from home seems like a formula for being there all the time. To be sure, our unit in Ocean City has become a cherished destination in our family's heart. The short ride there is filled with anticipation, and upon arrival we sink into the place as you can only do for a place you consider home, or in this case a home away from home.

Yet we don't actually go there that often. Now, we were just there this past weekend. But we hadn't been in four months. And we won't be back for another five months.

Upon buying the place in November 2021, we embarked on a 6+ month renovation project so obviously the place was off-limits during that time. That was done just in time for peak season, in which the unit was rented almost every week leading up to our own one-week stay at the end of Summer 2022. What a wonderful time it was then to enjoy the place to ourselves for the first time, and to do so for a whole week of sun and fun.

Once the off-season hit, I put the place up for a longer-term renter and in the meantime we'd go there once a month for the weekend to check on the place. Of course it was fun to enjoy it while we were there, and interesting to observe Ocean City in general as summer gave way to fall and then fall to winter. Days got shorter, nights got colder, and more stores closed for the year. By our December visit, we experienced the eerie sensation of place we know and love, normally filled with crowds of ice cream eaters and swimsuit wearers, practically devoid of human presence. Honestly, it was beautiful and serene to take in.

We got a tenant in early December and they just moved out a week ago, hence the need to check in on the place and the opening to enjoy the place. This month we'll do a few minor fixes and maintenancey things, and then we have a summer-long renter who'll be in until mid-September, after which we'll stop in again to inspect the unit, enjoy our getaway spot, and cheer Amy on as she races in the Ocean City Half-Marathon. 

It may be in small doses, but we so enjoy our happy place, and are thankful for its special place in our family life. The ocean breeze, the morning boardwalk jogs, the dessert runs, and most of all just being together is what cherished memories are made of.