The Vicarious Life

I have read more books in the past two months than I've read in the past two years--probably the past five years!  When we read, fiction or non-fiction, aren't we engaging in living vicariously through someone else's stories, voice, perceptions?  I enjoy reading, but I do feel like I'm spending a lot of my time escaping my own life in favor of immersing myself in the lives of others.  Here's a list of what I've read since moving to the beach:

All the Light we Cannot See, Anthony Doerr (started earlier; finished while here)

The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters

We Are Not Ourselves, Matthew Thomas

Love, Fiercely: A Gilded Age Romance, Jean Zimmerman (non-fiction)

The Headmaster’s Wife, Thomas Christopher Greene

Bill Bryson:

   1) I’m a Stranger Here Myself

   2) A Walk in the Woods

   3) The Life and Times of the Thunder Bolt Kid

Gray Mountain, John Girsham

Next up: My Usual Table: A life in Restaurants, Colman Andrews.

What's In a Name?

What's the difference between Friday and Saturday when you're retired?  Not much!

Walking to the Y

Upon hearing that my husband and I planned to move to the beach when I retired, the inevitable question was something about how we would spend our time.  Did I have any hobbies that I planned to pursue?  I planned to walk on the beach every day, join the Y, which was right down the street, take up bike riding and maybe kayaking.  All this from someone who has spent much of her life as an avowed couch potato.  But, why move to the beach if you're not going to take advantage of outdoor activities?  Not that working out at the Y is an outdoor activity, but, they do have a pool and even though we now live at the beach, you don't think I'm going to swim in the ocean do you?  There are all kinds of sea creatures in there! ;-)

So, after almost 4 weeks of unpacking boxes, organizing and re-organizing our stuff, getting new driver's licenses, opening bank accounts, and fitting in walks on the beach, I decided to check out the Y today.  (Did I mention I have gained 8 lbs. since November?  Time to get back into a regular exercise routine.)  It is about 3/4 mile from our house and there is a wide sidewalk from our neighborhood to the Y, it was 65 degrees outside, so I decided to walk.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?

This is my observation about walking on that wide, inviting sidewalk.  I felt oddly exposed.  The sidewalk runs along the side of "the bypass"--a four lane, 50mph highway that travels the length of much of the Outer Banks.  And, even though tourist season has not started, there's a surprising amount of traffic out there.  So, here I am, a stone's throw from sand and surf on a beautiful day walking on a deserted sidewalk with all kinds of vehicles roaring by.  Still haven't gotten our bikes yet, but maybe biking to the Y will be better.  Or, I could always drive. . .