Today Is All You Have

Describe your perfect day, one that you've had this year or one that you'd like to have next year. What makes it perfect for you?

I have not had the perfect day. My perfect day does not occur here, in Western New York. My perfect day occurs far away from the cold and the lake effect snow and wind chills. And although I have not left WNY this past year, I know exactly what my Perfect Day would look like.

Smell: Salty air coming off of the Gulf of Mexico. Suntan lotion. Cocoa Butter. Fresh fruit.

Taste: A frosty blender drink of rum and coconut. Seafood caught and cooked minutes before eating it (Cheese Grouper in Paradise?). Hush Puppies right out of the frier. A cold frosty beer.

Feel: Warm air on my face. Sun beating down on my back, my chest, my head. Sand with the consistency of baby powder between my toes.

Hear: A drum circle. Fishermen bragging about their latest catch. Seagulls. Competing boom boxes on the beach. The pages of my book turning.

See: Waves crashing on the shore. Footsteps in the sand. A gorgeous sunset. Sailboats in the distance. Tan lines. Pelicans dive-bombing the water. Couples, young and old, walking on the beach. Palm trees lining the sidewalks.

I cannot wait until I can experience this perfect day. I need it. I need it SO BADLY. I wish I could just snap my fingers and I would be standing on the beach. I wish I could snap my fingers and I could feel the sun on my face. I wish I could just snap my fingers and I would be out of this miserable place.