Fantasy Fourth.....check

Though the fourth has come and past, it was everything I needed. I haven’t seen fireworks on the fourth for some time now so I felt it crucial to do so. It came as a surprise to me that I had scheduled myself to be off for this patriotic festivity because I assumed I was going to be with the kids. When I found this out, options began throwing themselves at me like pennies to a fountain. I knew what I wanted though……In fact, I had created this whole “fantasy fourth” in my mind. I would go to a nice beach and see the fireworks over the ocean. I would have my own little spot on the sand where I could look up at the sky to see each explosion light up the crashing waves. So, yes, it is a rather romanticized fourth but I knew I needed it so boy did I fight for it.

I was invited by several people to join their festivities, some of which came close to my desires, but none clicked. I felt a little overwhelmed with options but never committed to anything. At the last minute I decided that I would go see Jenn and Nadya at their place for a BBQ and then leave early by myself to drive to San Clemente and find my fantasy fourth. When I got to the BBQ I convinced the two of them to join me on my quest, which worked out great because they brought something that made it even better: good company and good food. We BBQed some skewers and grilled corn and onions and packed it to go with us. I was a little apprehensive about traffic but the roads were open and the beach was calling. We arrived in San Clemente about 6pm and found a nice spot on the beach. It was a bit more crowded than I would have liked, but our spot had a nice view of the Pier where the pyrotechnics would be displayed. We immediately ran into the water and enjoyed being tossed around by the waves. A few delicious skewers and some corn cobs later, we were back in the water to see the amazing sunset. I told myself that I would see some of the fireworks while swimming in the ocean, so once it got dark I went back into the water and floated around surrounded by an amazing light show. Then I came back to our spot and lay back in the sand to watch the remainder of explosions.

The drive back was filled with traffic, but when you have your windows down and a cool breeze coming in complimenting your fun techno music, you have fun.

Needless to say, my fourth was exactly what I was looking for: relaxed fun, beautiful sunset, warm sand and sun, delicious food, and great friends.