Living the beach life

I had plans. But plans never work out the way you hope. At forty-five, I got hired for my dream job working on a cruise ship in the child care department. It took me 7 months to get all my training and flying to Maryland to train with the Coast Guard. I got hired on March 1st of 2020. March 12th, all the cruise ships are canceled due to covid. After selling most of my stuff and moving in with my mother I was unemployed for many months. Depression wasn't too far off as my childhood dream was just demolished. One day my mom looked at me while I was sitting on her couch and she said, " now what." I did not know what I wanted to do after that. My kids were grown up and they lived on their own. I felt lost and not knowing what to do with my life. She mentioned that the only other thing she ever heard me say I wanted to do was move to Long Beach. I realized she was right and that it gave me another goal that I had to work towards. In two weeks time, after driving 2 hours back and forth numerous times from my home in Vancouver to Long Beach, I had an apartment and a job. That seldom ever happens to anyone. Finding apartments on the peninsula is very difficult as they go very quickly. My entire family helped me move one day and by that night I was living at the beach. I have been here now for about eight months and still love it. I am about three blocks from the beach and live right on the main road in downtown. I work at this adorable little hotel and pub with two amazing owners. I probably see my family now more than I did when I lived back in Vancouver as they all come to visit me now. I also just started driving a school bus. As a photographer, this area has been amazing with its beauty and the sun sets and the ocean. I finally finished my website, sadday35.wixsite.com/daydreaming after several years of working on it. I bought a new phone with an amazing camera. I started selling my photographs at the hotel I work at. I started a portfolio that i am going to show to shop owners. My goal is to get an amazing photo of an eagle, but they seem to know when I am around and decide to hide on me. Along with the bears on the peninsula. They seem to be seen by everyone but me. I do feel lonely sometimes. I have only made a few friends since moving here. I go out to eat and to movies by myself. I walk on the beach and along the main street by myself. But i am okay with that. My life has been absolutely crazy and full of hard times. The longer I am here I learn to enjoy the peace and quiet that I have around me now. People ask me often if i am still interested in working on the cruise ships once they start back up again. I really would like to experience that but I am so comfortable and content where I am now. I really do not know if I am willing to start all over again. I found the ocean either way. I may not be on the ocean, but I am as close to it as I can get. I would miss my family being away for six months at a time. Here, I get to see them sometimes more than I would like too. Just kidding. I love seeing them.