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. . .
