Before I had my own children, before I had a career, before I was even married the first time...my sister, Regina, found "the beach house" on Imperial Beach in San Diego. The first time I went to the beach house I was a newly wed. It's been so may lifetimes ago (or so it feels) that the details are hazy, but Kyle and I went some time in the Spring of 1999 (we didn't have summer weeks at the beach house back then) with Richelle and Anthony. The four of us were always together...some of the best memories from my entire life are from that time. No kids, Canasta on Friday nights, running to Target, camping all summer, a $75k mortgage...the four of us...I swear those were the good ol' days.
The summer after Kyle died...Richelle and I (with baby Derek) snuck over to the beach house to stay a couple extra days with Regina, Trent, and the girls before our (re: her) week started...I think (these details are unclear). Anyway...Ryan called and said he and Michelle were going to Disneyland for Michelle's birthday (this had to be June 2001)...so we hopped in the car and went to California Adventure for the first time. The new theme park opened earlier that year, so it was very exciting to go! However, the park sucked. The cost was included with a day at Disneyland. I figured they'd close it down real quick like, but they dumped a ton of money into it instead and made it amazing! But that first year...wow. It was terrible. The only cool thing was the roller coaster (that Richelle flirted her way onto a second time without waiting).
The beach house has never been nice. It's never been luxurious, but the location and the price made it our happy place. We always looked for a better place, but we always went back to our place. Everywhere else is 4x the money, nowhere else had a porch on the sand, nowhere else was a guessing game as to what weird furniture changes would and would not be changed by the next summer. Over the years that small little beach town grew by a large Marriott, two breweries, and a few other places to eat and sleep. Most of it was welcomed additions...somewhere to eat besides Subway.
There were many summers I tagged along with Richelle...sometimes I'd snag a bed when Regina only had two littles, but I never needed anything more than a space to sleep. I was always just one. Even after I started working constantly...I still snuck away with Richelle for a week at the beach house. Not every summer...and not every day either, but most summers I snuck away for something.
Then I had kids...a family of my own. And I *finally* had my own reason to need my *own* week at the beach house. Luckily, the owners have multiple properties on Imperial Beach. In 2012 we lucked into renting the Beach Hut the same week as Richelle...so that became our week every year.
The week AFTER July 4th. We mostly rented the Beach Hut, but there were a few years we rented the upstairs 2-bedroom apartment (behind the beach house)...that one was our favorite. It wasn't on the sand, but as long as Richelle was in the beach house we were welcome to use to porch and even keep our beach stuff up there.
This is the beach I taught my babies how to find sand dollars...like my mom did with me. This is the beach we learned how to lick the beaters and eat ice cream cones. The beach we built sand castles at and got buried alive...we learned how to boogie board, fish off the pier, walk to 7-11 every year on 7/11 for a free slurpee. The beach we played games at, stayed up too late, visited the ER for the first time, ate s'mores, played at the neighborhood parks, took naps, went to the local drive-in movies, celebrated Nana's birthday, and got kissed by the sun. The favorite place for giant pizzas that barely fit through the door, the best morning donuts, and running with the grunions. Sydney even got stung by a stingray on this beach.
I have loved watching my nieces and nephews grow up with their week at the beach house. I have loved watching my own kids grow up with our week at the beach house. Every time we 'camped' indoors at the beach we asked ourselves why we kept coming back, but every time we left...we couldn't wait to come back.
So this year we headed back to our happy place. I decided to stay with Richelle at the beach house...and Mike was only planning to come for half the week. I offered my week at the beach hut to Sarah...and she took it! It was perfect! My sisters' kiddos are all so much bigger than my kiddos, so a chance for time at the beach with cousins their age was a perfect match.
When we packed up this year and left...it was for the very last time. The owners decided to make all their rentals long term rental properties to make it easier on them (as they've aged over the last 25+ years too).
It's confusing to love a place and its meaning...and hate it at the same time. It was truly indoor camping, but it was on the beach. And it was our indoor camping on our beach. We made so many amazing memories. It's truly the end of an era...and now we need to find a new place on the beach make ours.
