Walking with the Stars

Tropical beaches, with their white sand and impossibly-turquoise water, are incredibly beautiful during the day. At night the glittering daylight colors mutate into a dim blend of browns, blacks and greys. The heat of the day still echoes in the sand trapped between my toes. The rhythmic crashing of the invisible waves upon the beach is a mysterious backdrop to the main event of the night: the awesome spectacle of the night sky. The dazzling blanket of the sky is all the eye can really see. The sky is so huge on the beach, with nothing to obstruct the view, it feels as though I am floating in outer space, surrounded by blackness and little specks of light. I lie on an abandoned beach chair and take in the immensity of the sky. I am stunned by how miniscule I am compared to all of those constellations I wish I could name.

After observing the sky reverently for a while, it's easy to imagine that I am watching an elaborate balls with the many satellites and occasional airplanes doing a spirited dance with the stars. Then, as my eyes begin to get heavy with sleep, a shooting star tears across the dance floor and steals the show. I remember to make a wish and promise myself to keep a piece of this quiet yet awesome glimpse of the universe stored up to chase away future stress.

The waves are beckoning to me now. I get up, roll up my comfy pajama pants and put my feet in the warm water. I'm not quite brave enough to skinny-dip alone on a deserted beach, so I merely walk along the beach, feeling incredibly fortunate to be experiencing this little moment of paradise undisturbed by children or other tourists. I wish I could share this nocturnal beach walk with my husband but he is back in the room watching the children, granting me the gift of this magical solitude. I can see the flickering light of the TV screen through the curtain in our hotel room window. So I walk on, delighting in the feel of the sand between my feet and the warm water on my ankles, knowing that I'm making footsteps that no one will ever see. The black sky melts into the water, it's impossible to see where the sky ends and the water begins. Everywhere, as far as the eye can see, stars sparkle, winking at me, keeping me company.

This post was inspired by the Sunday Scribblings prompt: Out of this world.