| Happy Sunday, everyone. I've always been a beach person. Growing up in Maine in a fishing village, there weren't beaches like you think of when you hear the word "beach," but it was on the coast (fishing village, after all), there was water, and you could get down to the water. The air was salty. You knew you were in a beach town. Later, my family moved down to Florida, and I once again had access to the beach. When I moved out to California, I was never very far from the beach. In the Bay Area, the beach was a short drive away. In LA, it might not have been a short drive because of the traffic, but it was right there all the time. And when I finally settled in Malibu, I did so primarily for close access to some of the best beaches in the world. (Yes, I said it. Malibu is special.) Now I'm in Miami Beach, which has "beach" in its actual name, and I couldn't be anywhere else. But why? Why am I drawn to the beach? Something about the "vibe" of a beach town that has to be more than just "the beach is relaxing." We take for granted that people are relaxed and have good vibes in beach towns, but why? Why precisely are they like that? Something about the salt spray in the air. That spray is sending microdoses of aerosolized minerals across the town and they're all breathing it in, every day. That spray is seeding the town with negative ions which have been shown to improve mood. And if you're spending actual time in the water, you're basically taking a sea mineral bath—just think about the vibe of the surfer. So what is it that attracts me? I've never dealt with stress very well. I mean, I always seem to conquer stressors, tangible ones, at least, the ones I can grab onto and name. But I always take stress to heart. Always have, probably always will. I can't just ignore it. I have to fix it. Having the beach a few steps away takes the edge off and makes it easier to beat. That's probably why I always flock to beach towns wherever I end up living. What environment are you attracted to? Why do you think that might be? Let me know in the comment section of Weekly Link Love. | 
