30 Days of Thankfulness: November 1st: A smell

 

When I've done a similar prompt for the 30 days of Thankfulness/Gratitude I'm pretty sure I did the smell of lemon.  I'm very thankful for citrusy smells, especially lemon.  It does something in my brain that makes me feel good/fresh/alert/happy.  I am going to pick a different one this time.  Which smell?  I don't know yet, lol.  

This time I will say the ocean.  I miss the ocean.  Growing up on Long Island we spent a lot of time on the water, mostly Long Island Sound.  But we also would vacation in Maine on a pond, but go to the ocean up there frequently.  Then, when Mom and Dad retired to Sarasota, they lived close to the Gulf of Mexico.  I didn't get to visit them often when the boys were growing up but after they went to a nursing home, and Colin passed, I took the time to go down to visit.  We were able to keep their house in Sarasota while they were in the nursing home.  Made it much more convenient, easier, nicer for when we'd go down to see them.  Chris was down there way more often than me and she got very comfortable with being a Sarasotian (is that the word?) .  Anyway, visiting the ocean was always high on the list when I went down to Florida.  Siesta Key was maybe a 20 minute drive from the house.  Turtle Beach is THE best.  Turtle Beach is a little smaller and not was well known as Siesta Key Beach so when we went it wasn't ever truly busy.  

Immersing myself in the atmosphere of Turtle Beach was very important to me.  I would sit on the beach and use all my senses to take it all in.  I can bring myself back there, in my mind, by picturing myself on the beach and conjuring up those sensory memories.  In my head I can 'smell' the ocean!  It kind of brings my soul back to a point where it feels renewed/nurtured/solaced.  For about 5 or 6 years I would go down 2 a year, usually in December and June/July and visit the ocean.  It would fill me up until next time.  Now, with both Mom and Dad gone, the house sold, I don't have that.  Any ocean would make me feel good but the Turtle Beach smell, sand and sights, would fill me up 110%.  Someday...someday I will go back and get refueled.