On Monday night, I was sitting in my office chatting with a friend who’d had a hard day. An hour into catching up on life, I blurted out, “You know what I love most about you? How spontaneous you are. You’re always up for anything. Wouldn’t it be funny if we decided to get up tomorrow and drive to the beach?”

A moment of silence hit.

Then, she responded with, “This is really weird but I was just meeting with a mentor earlier today and she said that I should go to the beach or forest to clear my mind and take a long walk with someone I trust.” I took that as a sign and we wasted no time setting up an out-of-town adventure for the next day.

Beach, pleeeeeease.

I packed the bare basics and we were sitting in the sand by noon.

We first visited Manzanita and then Cannon Beach, which was calm and serene mid-week. The most beautiful flowers lined the sides of the road.

I love the weathered, quaint look of houses and businesses at the beach.

After the long walk my friend’s mentor had recommended, we found a log along the edge of the beach and spent a few hours just chillin’. I still had some work to do via email but anyone that needed anything immediately was met with, “Sorry, I can’t work right now. My feet are in the sand.” Luckily, my clients are cool and laughed it off!

No stop to the beach is complete without some sweet indulgences. This candy shop is always a favorite.

The one and only Haystack Rock.

Every time I visit Cannon Beach, it’s a personal tradition to snap a photo of this place. So unbelievably cool.

As we said goodbye, I was happy I made the time to get away, spend time with a good friend and ignore all the things that needed to get done, at least for a day. If you, a family member or friend is having a difficult time, I know how hard it can be to work through an issue when your mind is spinning and just a day out in the world exploring can provide you with some much needed clarity.

“Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equivalent or a greater benefit.” –Napoleon Hill

Have a great weekend, friends. xo