Books Over Bikinis: An English Major at the Beach

Courtney Guth is an English major to the core; even when she's on a gorgeous seaside vacation, she's still got her head buried in a book!—Sparkitors

When packing for a trip to the ocean, many girls become stressed over which bathing suits to pack. I, on the other hand, face a far more serious problem: what books do I bring? Most girls strive to answer the questions “does this make my butt look big?” or “which one will make the hot lifeguard notice me?” I instead face the problems of committing to my beach reads and then struggling to fit as many into my suitcase as possible. Once that problem is resolved, it’s time for this English major to head to the beach!

As I write this, I can feel the warm sun on my back and the sandy surface beneath my blanket. My only distractions are the relaxing waves lapping on the shore like a metronome. To me, this is the ultimate paradise and getaway. Henry David Thoreau had Walden Pond, and I have Ocean City. There are probably prettier beaches in far away exotic locations with crystal clear waters and coral laced sand, but this my closest paradise, so I make the most of it.

One of my favorite beach day activities is to spend the majority of the day reading. I don’t have a lot of time to do my personal reading at school between juggling required reading, projects, and lengthy papers, so I look forward to the hours on the sand filled with pages that take me away to other lands. In order to make the most of this rare opportunity, I always forgo my phone and other distracting electronics. I don’t feel that it is truly a vacation if I am just a push of a button away from the real world. Without the distractions of emails, texts, and facebook, I become lost in the beauty of the books and beach.  It’s as though my books are a vacation within a vacation.

Between chapters, I opt for refreshing dips in the ocean. It isn’t just the undertow that pulls me in, but also mystery and beauty of what lies ahead. I don’t swim out very far, but I do seem to drown in the freedom of it all. It amazes me that the shores is a few yards away, but in front of me lies miles and miles of salty sea. Of course, as an English major, I find the whole thing very metaphorical.

Nothing compares to the feeling of diving into the ocean and breaking the waves. I love the taste of the saltwater that lingers on my lips and even the slight sting in my eyes. It’s all part of the experience. Unfortunately, soon this vacation will be over, and it will be time to move back into college and the reality of deadlines and schoolwork, but for now I’ll just make the most of my brief seaside escape.

Now we reallllly want to go to the beach. What books will you bring on vacation?

Related post: Vacations of English Majors