What does one take to the beach? I had completely forgotten and didn't know how to plan. I hadn't been to the beach in years. But it didn't matter. Turns out I way overpacked and didn't even use the bath towel I sort of thought might pass as a beach towel.

What I should have planned for was the sand. Everywhere. Not that I minded really. In fact, my feet have never been softer! But I think if I had to live with it on a daily basis, I'd probably go nuts.

Still, it felt incredible to sink my feet into the ocean and to breathe the salty air. Everytime my sister and I walked along the beach I wanted to linger for as long as possible. There's just something otherworldy about the ocean. Growing up surrounded by flat land as far as the eye can see, the ocean simply feels like another planet.

I ended up taking a lot of photos. I got a little crazy using my digital SLR, my iphone and a new little Diana Mini I purchased from the Austin Lomography store. It was incredibly fun, but by the end of the trip my cameras felt overwhelming. On our last day, I asked my sister if we could return to the beach one last time, but this time without our phones or any cameras. She agreed but asked, are you sure you can do that? I was positive.

I have no record of our last day in Port Aransas. But that's okay. It was just what I needed.