As Dorothy from the "Wizard of Oz" (1939) once said, “There’s no place like home.” Cue those glittery red shoes. And for travelista culture, the famous saying goes “The best part of traveling is coming home.” Agreed. Fling open that front door and declare, “Hello home!”
As I sit and ponder this Labor Day weekend, of a summer soon lost to the cold, crisp vibrancy of yellow, orange, and red-colored autumn leaves, I think of all the Color Me… blog articles from years past, where I waxed nostalgic on my many global travels, expounding on quaint cobblestone streets and gorgeous mountaintop views.
I will forever remain indebted to places like Chile, Mexico, Holland, England, and more. My travels have been as varied and richly colorful as Dorothy and her rainbow in that aforementioned "Wizard of Oz." And yet, I have always held dear to my heart the home that I have returned to after each eye-opening adventure, whether my home was a teeny studio apartment, or my treasured ab-fab “2-bedroom on the 10th floor.”
And so it is with great pleasure that I regale a lovely local adventure that I recently enjoyed. Yes, no suitcase or passport needed. Instead, hello to my local beach country club. Really? Yup, I hit this historic country club for the first time. Gulp. What presentable, posh attire should I don? Decisions! No more than a few miles from my home, I was transported to a world of calm sands, tranquil mini-waved water, and one gorgeous sprawling horizon hovering below a beautiful blue sky.
An “experiential” gift from my Latin Lady friend (gracias, amiga!), this country club excursion was downright amazing. We first sat in the pavilion of the restaurant where large overhead fans serenely pushed out cool air to all of us lazy, hot, happy patrons underneath. For lunch, I had tasty clam chowder. Gotta love the many local variations, from New England, Rhode Island, and Manhattan. Now if not familiar with the northeastern part of the US, local clam chowder is ALWAYS recommended. It truly is delicious, not just travel show "script-fluff." And this one? Well, it was particularly “clammy,” which I loved. Yum. It was a perfect complement to my watermelon and feta salad. Double yum.
We then headed out to our beach chairs, our sweet blue umbrellas, and our primo view of Long Island Sound. After that, our afternoon became a wonderful blur of sunbathing, actual ocean bathing, the obligatory summer book-read, and then a mix of Kadima paddleball for sports, and even an attempt at ocean kayaking. (We’ll try the kayaking next time. Have I ever mentioned that I have always envisioned myself as a kayaker?)
My friend and I reveled in the inner peace we each felt slowly seeping into our system. Ahhh. Though still enveloped in our fast-paced, pressure-cooker New York City bubble as always, we felt appreciative for the Key West vibes and Bahamian breezes. Grab that conch shell and have a listen! And are those cute little fish swimming past our feet? And the floaty green seaweed? Think reassuring and ubiquitous.
So thank you, my local beach country club, for bestowing my friend and me with such treasured memories here at the finale of summer. As I moseyed on up to my door later that day, sand pumicing my pink flip-flopped feet, I was struck at how far I felt I had traveled. And yet I was still so magically close to home. PERFECTION. “There’s no place like home.”
This post is dedicated to my great friend Barbara. Thank you for this beautiful beach day!