I've lived here long enough to know every storm warning by heart, but I still get nervous every winter. There's something humbling about coastal weather that never really goes away, no matter how local you become.

Sometimes I miss the version of coastal life I imagined before I moved here. The reality is beautiful, but it's also hard, expensive, and a little isolating. I still think I made the right choice, but I don't think enough people say that out loud.

I know it’s silly but I talk to seagulls when I’m alone on the beach. Mostly to complain about things I don't like in my life in the moment. I know they can't understand me but I feel like they do listen. Anyone else guilty of random coastside chats with wildlife?

I secretly look forward to tourist season. I know everyone complains, but there's something about the coast feeling busy and full of energy that I actually love. It makes the whole place feel alive.

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I must confess the cookies in the small brown box in the bakery dept are the best cookies ever. I don’t know what they do over there but they’re delicious and I am awake right now thinking about them.