The Top Ten Reasons I Love Living On The Coast

10. Warm weather clothing is less bulky than winter wear, resulting in the ability to store (read "shop") a broader and larger variety of apparel!

9. Biting winds, icy rains, frigid temperatures, cold air, frozen pipes and the slight possibility of snow are typically limited to a less than four month time span. (Thank goodness!)

8. Small towns represent local business owners, personal attention, a friendly smile, and the extra touch of someone who cares about customer satisfaction.

7. Never a dull moment - boating, sun bathing, swimming, barbecues, golfing, fishing, marathons, parades, picnics, fireworks, festivals, fund raisers, tournaments, parties, outdoor concerts, and of course sun rises and sunsets that literally take your breath away. Yes, I know that these things happen everywhere, but somehow to me they just seem more fun and relaxing beneath the warmth of the coastal sunshine with the added hint of ocean in the air!

6. Wearing flip flops nine months out of the year - which also means more pedicures to maintain the hoofs and show off the oh-so-cute shoes of the season!

5. The quaintness of a close knit community that welcomes strangers and old friends alike.

4. The smell of salt air, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, even the shrill of the hungry seagull (read "the beach" - duh!).


3. Living life surrounded by history - giant sand dunes that continuously move, lighthouses that once warned ships of dangerous shoals, old burial grounds filled with generations of families and heroes, re-enactments of pirate invasions, relics from newly uncovered ship wrecks, celebration of man's first flight, the remnants of what once was which led to what life is now.

2. The Hidden Treasures of Mother Nature: nesting sea turtles, pelicans that hover barely above the water as if by magic, a sandbar covered in sand dollars revealed only at low tide, the unexpected show put on by dolphins at play, wild horses that roam purposefully to remind us of an era past, the unquestionable healing powers of the startling beauty of nature . . .

1. Money can't buy happiness but peace of mind and heart can!