Simplicity & Coffee tells her story with four beaches

It comes as no surprise that I can tell my story through sand. I grew up a California girl, spending my summers, springs, falls, and winters by the water. I started snorkeling before I was 10, decided to study sea turtles by 11, got my SCUBA license at 13 and moved to the beach at 21. Whenever times got tough, I would head to the beach. The ocean, the sand, the breeze – somehow, they helped me to slow down and hear what I needed to move forward.

Looking at my story, four beaches come to mind because they’re the four beaches I spent my time by as I went from single girl, to wife, to mother.

Endless Summer Necklace - Handmade Personalized — Endless Summer Necklace

The first beach that became part of my story was Newport Beach. At the time, I was in Long Beach CA, soaking up every second of living in my downtown high-rise with the ocean view. Then I met a handsome blue-eyed man in a pinstriped suit for coffee halfway between where I lived in Long Beach and where he lived in Newport Beach. That late-night coffee led to months spent in Newport together – exploring restaurants, sitting by the water, sharing our stories and falling in love.

In 2014, the second beach enters our story. G had a celebratory work trip to the Bahamas, and I was going with him. Little did I know it would mark the beginning of our decision to walk through life together. The evening of the final dinner, G proposed. The rest of the night is a whirlwind, but I remember sitting outside in the humid, salty air after dinner, looking at the white sands and dark ocean beyond as people came up to congratulate us. I’ll always remember how that evening smelled, and looked, and felt.

Our next beach was unexpected! G had a surprise opportunity for a promotion, which moved us out of Southern California and up to San Francisco. There, we started our life together in a much smaller apartment in the city, but one that still had an ocean view (barely!). Walks on Sunset Beach became part of our weekend routine as we learned to navigate life as partners.

After a few years it was off to Houston, TX – the first place I’d live in my adult life that wasn’t on the water! Thankfully, G knew how important the ocean was to me, and we made the trip to Galveston. It was the only beach I was on while pregnant with the girlie who would end up being our only child, Evie.

Now, as I write this, I not only have those four sands hanging near my heart in the Endless Summer Bar Necklace, I have also added sand from Santa Barbara, CA to a simple silver bracelet. We moved back to California recently, and this beach is the first one we’ve been to since our move. Another bit of sand to add to my story. I love being able to wear the places I’ve been. It reminds me who I am, who I’ve been, and that there’s so much more goodness to come.