Life at Cannon Beach

For two and a half years of my life—from the time I was twenty-one until I was almost twenty-four—I lived and worked in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was a great life because I absolutely love the ocean. 

I truly enjoyed the crashing waves, the sound of the annoying seagulls, the walks on the beach, and just exploring everything about it. Whenever I was down or crying, the sound of the waves at night always brought comfort.

There were bonfires, sing-alongs, and walks by myself or with fellow employees and friends. I have so many stories from that time, and it will always go down in my heart as one of the best eras of my life. If I could go there right now, I would. It honestly pains me to be stuck so far away from it now.

I first fell in love with Cannon Beach when I saw *The Goonies* way back in 1985. I had never actually seen the ocean in person until I was eighteen, on a trip to Cannon Beach

 with my father and mother. How awestruck I was when I first saw the beach firsthand is a story for a different time, but there were so many different seasons to experience there.

Summer was the most unusual season of all. I saw things I never thought I'd see routinely, like people sunbathing topless, whether they had a good figure or a bad one.

Then, one evening just after sunset, when the sun had gone down but there was still enough light to see, I was walking along a pretty remote section of the beach. In the distance, I saw two women set something down and start running toward the ocean. That sort of thing was pretty common, but as I got closer, I noticed something else. Even though the light was fading, I could see them clearly. They held hands as they dashed into the water to take a plunge—which is incredibly cold, even in the summertime.

As I got nearer, I realized they had stripped down entirely. Naked in the surf, they held each other and started giving each other lots of kisses. At that point, I didn't want to intrude on whatever came next. I turned right around and walked the other way to give those two lovers their privacy to enjoy their naked, kissing game in the ocean. I just headed back to my dorm room, and that was that. It's just one of those unique things you witness when you're living in Cannon Beach.