At the beginning of November, I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting the ocean for only the second time in my life and, thankfully, it was much warmer than anticipated.
South Padre Island is a small little island off the southern coast of Texas and bordered by the Gulf of Mexico. It’s known for its beaches and calm waters and as a party spot for spring breakers.
I gotta say that the off season is definitely the time to go. The beaches were peacefully uncrowded and the water was warm enough for a night time swim, if not for the jellyfish that washed up on the shore as we were walking.
We spent most of the day Thursday, Nov. 1, cramped and squeezed in a car, two planes and a shuttle van. I can’t complain about the lack of space while travelling as my broken and booted foot meant that in every vehicle provided a seat with the most leg room.
Even with all the leg room in the world, after a long day of travel a stroll along the beach was just what the doctor ordered. Walking along the beach with my silk scarf gently blowing in the breeze made all the waiting around worth it.
The next day we spent the entire day at the beach. As someone who has only ever lived in landlocked states, a day in the sand was an uncommon occurrence. I can no longer honestly say I prefer the mountains to the ocean.
I spent an obligatory hour doing homework in the morning but the afternoon was all sand, boogie boards and the best tacos I’ve ever had in my life.
As the sun set and the cold began to creep in, we relaxed in the warm pool, not quite ready to end our day of fun and go back to being responsible adults the next day.
The real reason I was in South Padre was not just for a day in the sun. I was there to present my research at the National Conference of Peer Tutoring in Writing.
Though the conference name is a mouthful, my presentations went smoothly and quickly. We spent our last warm night of freedom browsing the local shops and discovering the largest sandcastle I’ve ever seen.
Come Sunday morning we packed up our suitcases and presentations to lug back to Utah and said a mournful goodbye to the balmy temperatures of Texas.
Story By: Alexis Taylor
accent@suunews.net
Photos By: Alexis Taylor
