I woke up to another beautiful morning here in Gulfport, MS, the second in a row for this Christmas vacation. In the month that I’ve been here, the days have been mostly gray and chilly, or perhaps it just seems that way to me since I was settling into a new job, a new apartment, and dealing with replacing my vehicle after a minor traffic accident totaled my van. Through it all, though, I’ve fallen in love with life so close to the beach.
My morning drive to work now is a 5-to-10-minute drive on a lovely coastal highway and everyone I’ve met has been very friendly and welcoming. I am still adjusting to city life, but the neighborhood I’m in is peaceful and well maintained with many historic homes and businesses.
I took my camera with me on another easy walk from my apartment to Jones Park and then on to the white sands of the beach. Many mornings since my move, I’ve looked out my patio window and been entertained by the workers on small tractors scraping and cleaning the beach. This is the off season, and only a handful of pedestrians and cyclists can be seen enjoying the wide cement path that runs parallel to HWY 90 from Gulfport to Ocean Springs.
It was nice to finally find the time to get a little beach therapy for myself. The closer I came to the water’s edge, the more the sounds of city life, and daily stress and worries faded beneath the rhythmic sounds of the gentle waves. Inhaling the crisp salty air cleansed my lungs and refreshed my spirit. I don’t know if I’ll be here after the end of this school year when my contract ends and my lease expires, but for the moment I’m happy to enjoy this new adventure exploring and photographing the beautiful Gulf Coast.
