I am a mountain girl through and through. My heart is happiest when I am in the mountains – specifically the Wasatch Front in Utah.

In 2000, I moved to the coast to be close to my family.

I am glad to be near my parents and siblings, but I miss seasons. I hate heat. I hate humidity. And cockroaches. And fire ants. I could go on. And on.

The one saving grace about this locale is I am less than an hour from my door to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Emerald Coast is, by far, the most beautiful stretch of beach I have ever been to, and I have been to a lot of beaches. Hawaii, the Philippines, West and East coast beaches in the US – none can compare with the beach here.

First of all, it’s not sand – it’s silica. Powdery soft and brilliant white, it is the reason the water is such a beautiful hue.

The water is clear and warm – almost every time I go, it’s a green flag day. The waves are subtle, the water is clean, and you can see clearly to the bottom.

It doesn’t take long to drive past the main beach accesses to find an almost completely secluded spot to relax. After floating on my back and listening to the ocean sounds, my next favorite thing to do is just lay on a beach chair and soak it in. There is so much beauty to behold – I love the little sand pipers racing up and down with the surf. I’m amused by the ghost crabs tentatively peaking out of their sand holes, to scurry across the sand. The sea oats sway as they cling to the forming sand dunes, framing the unnaturally beauty around me.

It’s a place where you leave the cares of the world behind.

It makes living here bearable.

I need to go there more often.