Trade living room for beach to change your outlook

I was tired of my living room.

I’m spending too much time in it, evidenced by the butt-shaped indentation on one end of the couch.

Usually I find it a restful place. The walls are soft yellow and the furniture is comfortable. But I’m antsy after being cooped up inside for months.

I’ve gotten out some, mostly to see family. I walk the dog, circling Tempe Town Lake. Being near water slows my breathing and calms my brain.

So when my friend Ally invited me on a road trip to the beach, I jumped at the chance. We did it safely, stopping twice to use the bathroom, wearing masks, wiping down everything we touched with disinfectant wipes. (We had all tested negative for the virus.)

The first day, we rented bikes and rode from Venice to Will Rogers State Beach.

It wasn’t a complete escape from reality. Stores were boarded up from recent protests. Colorful murals had been painted on them. People wore masks and kept their distance. But it felt different, more hopeful somehow.

We stopped at Big Dean’s Ocean Front Café, where the host took our temperatures before letting us onto the patio. Wait staff wore masks and face shields. It was the first time I’d been to a restaurant in months. The tables on either side of us were purposely empty. We ordered fish tacos and beers.

The next day, we set up umbrellas on the beach and ate sandwiches from our cooler.

As I knew it would, the waves slowed my breathing and calmed my brain.

The world seemed fresher, like I was seeing it with new eyes.

On our way home, as we crossed into Arizona, the setting sun reflected on the mountains. “Isn’t it beautiful?” I said. It was.

At home, I dragged my bags inside and looked around. Suddenly my living room seemed beautiful.