By Elizabeth White
(WROXTON, ENGLAND) – Last weekend we visited Brighton, which is a sea town located on the southern coast of England. This was my favorite trip so far, but it also made me extremely homesick.
Growing up on the Jersey Shore has made me into a beach lover. I’ve worked on the beach as a beach badge checker on Long Beach Island for three summers, and I never get tired of the shore.
Being near the beach again made me long for home, but at the same time it was nice to finally be by the ocean again. The salty breeze instantly brought me happiness.
I was surprised at how many similarities there were between Brighton and the shore that I grew up on. There was a pier that jutted out into the ocean that contained an arcade, rides, and various places to eat. It reminded me of the Seaside Boardwalk.
The pier itself seemed very American to me, with the fast food, rides and American music blasting. It made me feel at home again, even though I was across the Atlantic.
I also realized that feisty seagulls must be an international horror. A friend’s ice cream was stolen by a seagull that hit him in the back of the head and then proceeded to steal his cone.
One difference I noticed about Brighton compared to the Jersey Shore was that the beach was all rocks. It wasn’t sand like I am used to at home. This made it nearly impossible and very painful to walk on the beach or even really sit down.
One of my favorite parts was the noise that the waves made crashing on the rocks. It was so unusual but also soothing at the same time.
Halfway through the trip I stopped feeling sad about not being at my beach and began to really appreciate the fact that I got to spend a day at the sea. It was a great experience and I’m planning on returning to Brighton before the end of the semester with some friends.
