Less than 12 hours at the beach

5 a.m. breeze, a short two hour drive, music blasting, and the sun slowly rising on the horizon. That was my Saturday morning.

I've always wanted to wake up before the sunrise and drive to the beach to be there in the peaceful moment it rises. So I decided to do that exact thing on Saturday.

Once I got to the beach, the sand was cold below my feet and the water was frigid, yet it still was one of the most relaxing things I have experienced. After walking on the cool beach for a bit, I decided to look up local coffee shops and see where I could pick up a nice, warm coffee.

After walking about two blocks, I found a coffee shop called "The Workshop," right next to the bridge in Wrightsville Beach. It was quaint, but cute. Warm avocado toast was exactly what I needed after being up since 5 a.m. I decided a long walk on the beach would be nice since it was sunny and warm-ish outside. Collected a few shells on the walk and then got a blanket from the car to lay on the beach and relax.

A few hours and naps later, I decided it was time to get some lunch. I hopped back in the car and made my way back across the bridge to a spot called "Spoonfed." I ordered a chia seed bowl and enjoyed the refreshing coconut taste like a sweet summer day.

I figured it was about time to head back to Chapel Hill in order to make it back before the sunset. I packed up my things and got back in the car to make the short two hour drive home, enjoying the weather and music on my way back. Spending time doing the things I love is something important to me and takes me back to the statement I mentioned in one of my first blogs..."why not?" I wake up and say why not do something you love for yourself every single day because your happiness is important. So next time you consider doing something you love, even if it means driving 2 hours just to spend less than a day at the beach...why not?