Beach and Beer

Friday night I found myself drunk on a very familiar beach with my very dearest friend. It's a favorite spot for me - which I've shared with everyone and no one throughout my years being raised in Florida.

"The damn beach patrol is coming on the four-wheeler. We have to hide the case." Though we said it on Friday, its a phrase we've used since high school.

"We could dig a hole and bury it." We giggled.

"Or just put it in our laps and cover it with a blanket? Hope they don't ask us to stand up!"

Thirty minutes and several pictures to 'capture the moment' later - the beach patrol never made it to our spot. We continued to sit there and look out into the vastness of night and the gulf and plan our lives like we have been doing for so many years before.

"Atlanta will be our crazy years. But we'll come back here to raise our families next door to each other."

Our conversations drifted in and out of seriousness - mixed with laughter and tension at times. We've grown up and yet still look to each other for approval and guidance. We laughed at the many romantic encounters we had with ex-boyfriends on this beach. We talked about the difficulty in finding God's calling for our lives. We remembered one of the first times drinking together at prom. We questioned if we believed in loved. We toasted to our greatest memories.

Too many beers later we decided to go meet everyone else at the local beach bar. The night continued with fond memories with dear friends - most of whom I hadn't seen in months, some even years. It ended with the two of us once again on the beach - laughing and falling asleep on beach chairs.

"Just a quick nap to sober up." Giggles again.

Some of my life's most important decisions have been made with her on this beach. Its truly amazing what a best friend and a beach can do for you when you need it the most.