Message in a Bottle....

This morning while swimming in the ocean, Chelsea and I found a bottle floating in the waves. We quickly swam to it and grabbed it out of the water before anyone else. Rushing to shore, we were stoked to have a message in a bottle.

We showed Amber what we found, and we tried to open the bottle but we couldn't. So, we traveled back to the condo where we chiseled away at the seal with a chef's knife. Eventually we were able to get the bottle open, but we weren't able to get the message out. It ended up that we had to break the bottle with a hammer that Amber had brought on our trip.

Once we had broken the bottle, we pulled out the piece of paper inside and read the names of the people who had sent it. They were from Louisiana and on vacation in Gulf Shores. So obviously it didn't make it far. On the back of the piece of it paper it said, "Send more beer. We are out." I cracked up. It was the best message in a bottle ever! There was also a phone number on the back. We plan on calling them tomorrow. We would have called them today, but we wanted to give them at least one day to hope that their message made it really far along the coastline. It was so exciting to find the bottle. I can't wait to call the people tomorrow!

Fight the Waves? Or Retreat to the Shore?

Amber, Chelsea, and I arrived in Gulf Shores around three thirty this afternoon. Ever since then I have been taking in all that it has to offer me. I am so happy to be here. Traveling to Gulf Shores has given me a chance to escape the everyday routine of my life, and I can finally get a chance to just breathe and think. The moon reflecting on the ocean is so beautiful right now. I could live like this forever.

Today when we arrived at our condo which is located across the street from the beach, I demanded that we go walk on the beach. After settling in, we crossed the street and surveyed the ocean. Immediately I wanted to jump in the water, but seeing as I was fully clothed, I couldn't just jump in. I asked if we could come back later on around sunset and they agreed.
A couple hours later, we were back on the beach and ready to swim. During those two hours, we visited a surf shop where I bought a boogie board to play with. Upon arriving at the beach, I immediately dove in and started to try to ride the waves. Chelsea also ventured out with me while Amber stayed by the shore. I ran out full speed with my boogie board attached to my wrist, ready to take on any waves.

I haven't been to the beach for nine years, so obviously I couldn't remember everything about it, and one of those things was the fact that the waves are so strong. Paddling out on my boogie board and occassionally jumping waves as I tried to walk, I fought for every bit of ground. It seemed like for every four feet I traveled away from the shore, the waves carried me back five. But I was determined to make it.

As I fought with every ounce of strength I had, I couldn't help but think how similar to life my water situation was. In life we fight so hard to make it, yet every time we feel we are making progress, something happens that throws us back. After that happens, we are left with a choice. Do we just give up and head back to shore, or instead, do we keep fighting for every inch of ground we gain hoping to eventually reach our goal? As for me, I fought my way out. It took a long time to reach my destination, and I got many bumps and bruises along the way, but I reached my goal. I definitely enjoyed my time in the ocean today and I can't wait to do it tomorrow.