NYU student reflects on how Seaside became her second home

Growing up, Seaside was always my sanctuary. It’s a place that filled my childhood with cherished memories and simple joys. When I began visiting Seaside, I was only 12. Now, I’m 20, living in New York City and attending New York University, where I still find myself daydreaming about getting back to the tranquility of Seaside. 

This sense of community in Seaside made this place my escape, especially from college stressors. With the abundance of memories I have made over the years, I have always loved reflecting on the quiet moments the town has brought my family.

In 2016, when my parents surprised my brothers and me with the idea of taking a nine hour road trip from our hometown, Beaumont, Texas, to Seaside, I found myself hesitantly listening to my mom’s ramblings about how much she adored the town.

This way of thinking quickly faded upon seeing the magical allure of this dreamy coastal town. Driving past beaches with crystal-clear waters and charming white picket fenced houses straight out of a fairytale, I watched my mom’s descriptions become reality before my eyes. 

Coming from a rural, small part of Texas, there weren’t many beaches or coastal boutiques, making Seaside then and now my personal slice of heaven akin to a New Yorker’s retreat in the Hamptons. 

After our first encounter in the dreamy coastal town, my family and I eagerly anticipated the ringing of the last bell of every school year, heralding the start of summer and the chance to once again immerse ourselves in this quaint town. 

I celebrated my reunion with my second home by indulging in Meltdown grilled cheese and ending my night eating one of Nigel’s famous chocolate-dipped bananas. I began each season planning the days ahead, including walking expeditions on the hiking and biking trails. These self-guided explorations of nature offer family and friends like mine the opportunity to start our summer by putting down our phones and exploring. 

Since our first visit, my family has set up an annual competitive pickleball tournament on the 30A tennis courts or at our rental, and we always have a sunset paddleboard session where we practice our yoga stances as the last sunbeams fade into pinks and orange hues. Even on rainy days, the activities continued. We started with Amavida coffee for our caffeine cravings and picked up new beach reads at Sundog Books. I’ll always remember my family and friends spread out on the mismatched cushions, chairs, and towels of the cozy, yellow cottage where we stayed, reflecting on the highlights of the day. 

As the years progressed and I eventually entered my adventurous teenage years of driving, Seaside still presented a set of endless possibilities for my friends and me. This included girls night out at what we considered a “sophisticated” dinner at Surfing Deer and rolling down the windows while driving down the 30A and listening to our summer playlists chasing the last rays of sunset. 

Even years later, we still find ourselves craving the simplicity of biking around the neighborhoods to pick out which house and style we want “when we’re older” that always follows the routine of heading to the beach to get the best tanning spot. Eventually, we would take our last dips in the ocean to race over to Modica Market to get the best chicken salad for a late lunch and begin the journey home to prepare for the upcoming night’s festivities, including getting ready and a late night bonfire at the beach. 

Over the years, my family and friends and I kept the same routines. We always started the summer by picking out a new colored T-shirt from The SEASIDE Style® with the famous logo on the front, then eventually wandered over to the local bikini shop Ophelia to try on what would be the bikini of the summer. New spots started popping up, like Cabana by The SEASIDE Style®, which quickly captured my attention with their incorporation of chic, beachy brands like Farm Rio and Queen of Sparkles, as well as Ono Surf Shop inclusion of brands like M&M Designs and the popular “smiley-face hat” that soon became the hat of the summer. 

My family ultimately decided this past year to make this a permanent second home by buying a house in Grayton Beach, providing a spot for all of my friends and family to reconnect every summer after each of us spent long semesters away at college. 

From the warm and welcoming faces I still see after eight years of coming to Seaside, I can firmly say that my family and I still find ourselves counting down the days until we get to go back to this sort of paradise. Seaside may have evolved over the years, but the timeless charm of this idyllic coastal community will forever remain etched in my memory as being my sanctuary and forever home.