Point of Origin

I set up this blog to capture my thoughts about my love for the sea, how badly it hurts to be away from her, and what I am doing to cope with the distance. I intend these posts to radiate out from this point of origin, but plans may change as we get into things over time. For now, let me lay out some background for future conversation.

My Wife, her Family, and her Infectious Love of the Sea

I married the granddaughter of a sailor. I will spare you a full anthropological study of their ancestry, but some background may help to set my foundation. Her grandfather, "Poppy" as we call him, was a jack of all trades, but cobbling boats together was a trade that served as a treasure trove of stories. Now that he is gone, these stories remind us of the mischievous look he'd get when, for instance, he would describe taking a boatload of kids down the river in a homemade boat and almost sinking on a sandbar; saved by patching the hole with sock, a nut, and a bolt. Some of that wild mischief was imbued in my wife's eye too and is most noticeable when we venture to the seaside.

Before Hannah and I were married, her parents took us on a vacation trip to Seagrove Beach in Florida. We drove through the night from central Mississippi to northwest Florida, arriving in the wee hours of the morning. She and I ran off to the shore before we even unloaded the car. I can still vividly remember the salty air, the white crabs finishing their nightly hunt in the white sand, and, most of all, the sound of the waves. I was instantly infected by my wife and her family's love of the sea. I don't know how else to explain it. It got in my blood.

Central Square Records and Oui

Once we were married, we honeymooned at the sea, we vacationed at the sea, and, when we were away from it, we planned how to get back to the sea. For over twenty years we visited the Florida panhandle every chance we got. When we vacationed there, we did not like to shop much. However, our consistent exception to not shopping was found in Central Square Records in Seaside.

We both enjoyed finding new music wherever we could. Coming from a very musical family, Hannah was always better at finding good music than I was. One year in Central Square, Hannah found the record Oui by The Sea and Cake. It became the soundtrack to many of our beach trips and was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of what to name this blog.

Our Beach Life... ...and Babies

After years of traveling to the beach with whatever time and money we could pull together, I got a job that allowed me to work remotely. After getting used to the work-from-home routines, we realized that home could be anywhere. Home could even be the beach! We packed up our earthly possessions and rented a home on near first, the Atlantic and next, the Florida Gulf Coast.

While living near the water we went through many of the most stressful points of our marriage. The sea was a comfort when things got overwhelming and helped to show how small we are in contrast to her immensity. We loved being on the water so much that we bought a home that was only one thousand feet from the shore. Sadly, we discovered that raising children among transient visitors and increasingly common hurricanes was more than we could carry without the support of family nearby. We made the heartbreaking choice to move back to Nashville where we had a life established.

A Return to Nashville and the Game Changer

Regaining friends and familiar landmarks was a welcome change for us and helped to take some of the edge off of leaving the sea. However, about six months after we returned, COVID changed everything and we isolated without salt water and sand for most of two years.

Slowly we have begun to reemerge into normal life. We have returned to the Gulf for vacations a few times since moving back to Nashville. Each time we return, I feel the grief and lose all over again. As a part of coping with that grief, I am writing here and I intend to make plans about enjoying water nearby when we are away from the sea.

I encourage you to follow along here (or better yet - subscribe!) to see what adventures Hannah and I get into as we try to scratch the salt water itch.

Thanks for reading.