What it Feels Like Growing Up in a Tourist Spot

Surprising or not surprising - I didn't spend a lot of time at the beach when I was growing up. Should be surprising, considering I grew up in a town that is known for its beach. Longest freshwater beach or something like that, big open bay to swim in, should be paradise.

But I stayed far from the beach. Not because I was a debbie downer, but because I didn't like going to the beach and having to fight for space. To deal with the messy people. If anyone can relate, you know. Living in a tourist destination is not easy. You have to find loopholes and secret places, because the only place to go is always packed.

Luckily, because the beach is so long, there are many other beaches to go to. However, those are just beaches that do not have any stores or attractions like the main beach. I never really wanted to go to the beach because the main beach was the best one, but that was where all the tourists were.

You may think I'm a snob, or carrying on about something that doesn't really matter. I just felt like I could never get away from the tourists in our area. The town next door has a big mountain for winter sports. I don't think I ever went skiing or snowboarding, maybe once for a school trip.

There were also some bars on the mountain, and apparently a nice spa, but I went to the bars once and never even heard about the spa. I preferred going to the beach in the fall, when everyone had gone home and packed up. It was colder so you probably couldn't swim, but it was so much calmer. You could sit on the beach and not have to really be bothered by anyone.

On a hot summer day on the main beach, this is impossible.

I guess every place has things that attract others. The town I moved to is kind of a tourist spot too, and I don't know what's with me and being attracted to these places. I've always longed for stability. When people are in and out of your town, they're in and out of your life too. I was afraid of the tourists because I never wanted to get close to them. Never wanted to get attached because I always knew that they would eventually have to leave. No one likes the end of summer goodbyes.

Maybe this is more about the fact that I don't like to say goodbye, and when you're in a tourist spot, there's no guarantee on how long people stay. Maybe they're there forever, or maybe they'll just leave. So I hid myself from them and wasn't open to new experiences because I was scared, which is a common theme throughout my childhood.

If you feel like I do, we should start facing our problems head on. Why was I always angry with everybody who lived (or breathed) in the town I grew up in? Because I wasn't happy with myself, my life, and what I had going for me at the time. I was frustrated that these people could let loose and have fun, and that I couldn't because I was hiding myself away in some room where no one could see me.

Here's my advice: don't be so afraid to open yourself up. I wish I could give this advice to my past self. There are so many good things and new experiences that can come from being open to things, and it's all up to you. A new attitude can change everything.