Impressions While Walking Fort Lauderdale Beach

 

It’s 5:45 in the morning, and I’m up. I squeeze lemon into warm water, put on coffee, pull on my bathing suit then my gym clothes. Bathing suit and gym clothes? What am I up to? I’m heading to Fort Lauderdale beach for a morning workout. Since my body has been craving cardio lately, I decided to heighten the experience by doing my cardio along Fort Lauderdale Beach. Without further ado, here’s Impressions While Walking the Beach.

There’re all sorts of people walking, jogging, running, and bike riding along Fort Lauderdale Beach. And all the while the sun is slowly rising and the waves are rolling ashore in new combinations each morning.

I love how the scenery changes. There’s young and active Las Olas Boulevard lined with restaurants, bars, and shops, normally closed so early in the morning. I came across this artist sketching the scene and I was too nervous to ask him for a photo, so I took a picture of the back of his head like a creeper.

Progressing north brings the lineup of blue umbrellas, beach chairs, and jet ski rentals. This is normally where you can find many tourists who like to stick close to the comforts of their hotels and beachside service.

Further north brings the softness of sea oats and seclusion.

Walking helps me to notice things I might normally miss, like an early morning yoga session or two men shore fishing.

An older, rich-looking woman walked past me and I thought she’d smell expensive, but she only smelled human; she’s just getting her exercise like the rest of us. Later though, a different woman passes me and she smells like a billion bucks. Soft flowers, vibrant citrus, and something else, whatever that thing is that makes stuff smell expensive. I make a mental note to give myself a couple spritzes of my best stuff before heading out next time. I want people to feel energized and lifted from the earth when they pass me.

I have this goal of doing more street photography of people, and I was pretty pissed at myself that I couldn’t work up the nerve to ask the artist for his picture. As a writer, being interrupted can at times be a horrible experience, so I told myself that I would be bothering him. Part of me didn’t know if he’d feel I was intruding on his creative process, but mostly I was scared and chickened out.

So, as with all worthwhile endeavors, I decided to make another attempt. Sometimes we focus so much on what we didn’t do that we forget the simple fact that we can just try again. So that’s what I did, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This is Dennis! When I saw him standing there glistening in the sun, I decided that he was my guy. Dennis has been a lifeguard with Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue, established in 1926, for the past 10 years and this is the only beach he’s worked on. Before lifeguarding, he was in the skies chasing bad guy drug smugglers as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation division. He wanted my readers to know that Fort Lauderdale Ocean Rescue is a great organization. He also kept mentioning that there were plenty of younger lifeguards that I could photograph, but look at this smile.

 South of Las Olas Boulevard, blink and you’ll miss it, is the historic trail of The Barefoot Mailman.

How incredible to think of one man walking through the sand and untamed wilderness alone. I walk through the sand for 20 minutes and I’m winded. He must’ve walked hundreds of miles in all kinds of weather.

I thought this guy walking alone under a cloudless sky exemplified the image well.

After my workouts, I’ve taken to going into the water.

Because it’s always very early, the water tends to be cold, but I do it for a few reasons.

The cold water helps my body to recover more quickly after my workout. The ocean is cleansing and I use the sand to give my body a nice exfoliation. And getting into the water makes me feel more connected to nature.

Sometimes it takes me a few tries to get in!

If you live in Fort Lauderdale or plan to visit, I would highly recommend that you take some of your workouts to the beach. Even if you’re just in it for the stroll, you’ll find plenty to love about the experience. Grab your coffee and get out there!

Essentials:

Fanny Pack or small backpack 

Water

Sunscreen

Swimsuit

Pay-By-Phone App (you don’t want to cut the walk short because parking is about to expire).

Have you tried switching up your workouts lately to make them more enjoyable or just to add variety? I’d love to hear about it.

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My name is Lyz-Stephanie and I want to inspire you to be more connected to yourself and the world, to find beauty in simple pleasures, and to have more adventures. Every day we can do something to make our lives happier and richer, make our minds more active and engaged. I’m on the journey. Will you join me?