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I drove to Myrtle Beach. The drive there was fine. The day was cloudy and there was some rain, so I did not get hot during the drive, in spite of my car not having air-conditioning.
My hotel room was fine. From some reviews of the hotel I had read, I had been a bit worried, but the room was fine. It had a fine view of the ocean.
I went to the ocean. I was wearing my new swim outfit, consisting of boys'/men's swim-shorts and a girls'/women's sleeveless rashguard. The outfit felt very comfortable. It's the first time I recall ever feeling comfortable, and not at all dorky, in a swimsuit. I even went wandering around the hotel grounds in the outfit afterwards, rather than going to my room right away to change out of it.
The ocean was fine. It wasn't cold. It was salty, but that is to be expected of the ocean. I didn't encounter any garbage nor any sharks nor any stinging jellyfish in the water. There were nice waves.
Me being in the ocean consists of wading out in the water to chest-height, watching for tall waves in order to jump with them and avoid my face getting wet, doggy-paddling a bit, floating on my back a bit, and as I mentioned, watching out for waves. It's sort of a game, me against the ocean. Of course, the ocean would always win against me, so I only go out chest-deep, enough to be somewhat dangerous but not muchly so. Even then the ocean tends to win. It did on the 2nd day, smacking me down with a big wave, and then pummeling me with another. I excused myself from the game in order to expel stinging saltwater from my airways. Not to leave on a defeated note, I then went back into the surf and waded knee-deep for a while.
Then I even went into one of the swimming pools for a while. I hadn't been in a swimming pool for over a decade or so. (There's something unappealing about getting into a tank of chlorine-smelling water in which other people have been hanging around in). I doggy paddled a bit, and swam a bit, and floated on my back. It was ok. Nothing particularly special. I determined that I hadn't been missing much in that decade or so. But it was ok.
I was glad for my new swim outfit, which I felt comfortable in. I was glad for my menstrual cup, which made going into the water possible, in spite of my period having started the day of the trip.
Seeing the laser lights at night was neat, even though I worried about the beams catching me in my eyes.
I went out to eat with my family. It was ok.
I thought about what it would be like, to be down at the ocean without other people around, so that I could listen to the ocean talking without any distractions... I realized that it would either not make any impact on me at all (no different than having people around), or that I would feel sadness.
Internet access was sporadic at the hotel, as was my cell-phone signal.
I flipped through the channels on the cable television in my room. I watched part of a movie.
The next day I went shopping and bought some things. That was fine.
Then I drove back home. The temperature was in the 100s that day, and it was a hot drive back. But it was ok. I drove through Sumter, to see the town. There wasn't much special to see though, on the route I took. I also stopped at a boat landing by the Wateree River. It was sort of neat down there... I would have liked to just sit on the landing for a while, watching the river flow past. But I was the only person there, and I had left my car windows rolled down, and I felt a bit uneasy that someone might walk out of the bushes and/or steal from my car while it was out of my sight.
I managed to avoid a sun-burn while at the ocean. My left arm nearly got sunburned on the drive back. But so far it's ok and not peeling.
Forestfen called and asked me if my extra day at the beach was "wonderful". (She left the day before me). I said that it was ok. I don't think she really heard my answer, but I don't mind. It's easier if she thinks I'm happy. Sometimes I wonder to myself, is she for real? Does she really experience things which seem plain or okay or fine to me as "wonderful"? Do other people experience things like she does?
My hotel room was fine. From some reviews of the hotel I had read, I had been a bit worried, but the room was fine. It had a fine view of the ocean.
I went to the ocean. I was wearing my new swim outfit, consisting of boys'/men's swim-shorts and a girls'/women's sleeveless rashguard. The outfit felt very comfortable. It's the first time I recall ever feeling comfortable, and not at all dorky, in a swimsuit. I even went wandering around the hotel grounds in the outfit afterwards, rather than going to my room right away to change out of it.
The ocean was fine. It wasn't cold. It was salty, but that is to be expected of the ocean. I didn't encounter any garbage nor any sharks nor any stinging jellyfish in the water. There were nice waves.
Me being in the ocean consists of wading out in the water to chest-height, watching for tall waves in order to jump with them and avoid my face getting wet, doggy-paddling a bit, floating on my back a bit, and as I mentioned, watching out for waves. It's sort of a game, me against the ocean. Of course, the ocean would always win against me, so I only go out chest-deep, enough to be somewhat dangerous but not muchly so. Even then the ocean tends to win. It did on the 2nd day, smacking me down with a big wave, and then pummeling me with another. I excused myself from the game in order to expel stinging saltwater from my airways. Not to leave on a defeated note, I then went back into the surf and waded knee-deep for a while.
Then I even went into one of the swimming pools for a while. I hadn't been in a swimming pool for over a decade or so. (There's something unappealing about getting into a tank of chlorine-smelling water in which other people have been hanging around in). I doggy paddled a bit, and swam a bit, and floated on my back. It was ok. Nothing particularly special. I determined that I hadn't been missing much in that decade or so. But it was ok.
I was glad for my new swim outfit, which I felt comfortable in. I was glad for my menstrual cup, which made going into the water possible, in spite of my period having started the day of the trip.
Seeing the laser lights at night was neat, even though I worried about the beams catching me in my eyes.
I went out to eat with my family. It was ok.
I thought about what it would be like, to be down at the ocean without other people around, so that I could listen to the ocean talking without any distractions... I realized that it would either not make any impact on me at all (no different than having people around), or that I would feel sadness.
Internet access was sporadic at the hotel, as was my cell-phone signal.
I flipped through the channels on the cable television in my room. I watched part of a movie.
The next day I went shopping and bought some things. That was fine.
Then I drove back home. The temperature was in the 100s that day, and it was a hot drive back. But it was ok. I drove through Sumter, to see the town. There wasn't much special to see though, on the route I took. I also stopped at a boat landing by the Wateree River. It was sort of neat down there... I would have liked to just sit on the landing for a while, watching the river flow past. But I was the only person there, and I had left my car windows rolled down, and I felt a bit uneasy that someone might walk out of the bushes and/or steal from my car while it was out of my sight.
I managed to avoid a sun-burn while at the ocean. My left arm nearly got sunburned on the drive back. But so far it's ok and not peeling.
Forestfen called and asked me if my extra day at the beach was "wonderful". (She left the day before me). I said that it was ok. I don't think she really heard my answer, but I don't mind. It's easier if she thinks I'm happy. Sometimes I wonder to myself, is she for real? Does she really experience things which seem plain or okay or fine to me as "wonderful"? Do other people experience things like she does?