Latest / Abide Meditation App / Relaxing Sleepy Story _ Restful Days by the Sea

Transcript

Relaxing Sleepy Story _ Restful Days by the Sea · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy. As always, I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: so much for joining us tonight. Heather will be reading
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: our story this evening, where we'll follow along with Jenny
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: and Chris as they escape for a day to a
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: cozy hotel in a historic beach town. There, the only
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: item on the agenda is to unwind. Let's get ready
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: for our story with a moment of relaxation. Begin with
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: a few deep breaths in through the nose. And gently
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: out through the nose or mouth. I'm not going to
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: ask you to breathe at a particular pace. You can
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: just allow your natural pattern to continue. But just see
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: if you can consciously notice the breath. Notice the details
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: of it. Where do you feel the presence of oxygen
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: in your body? Through the nostrils or the throat? In
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: and out of your diaphragm? And how does it make
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: you feel? Every breath maintains all the functions of your body.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: a synergy of our natural environment and the vessel of
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: the body. The breath is your eternal rhythm, and when
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: you heighten your awareness of it, you naturally become more
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: centered and more calm and peaceful. even if your mind
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: continues to wander, which it is free to do, just
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: know that your eternal rhythm is still there. And you
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: can just gently re-center your focus on the breath whenever
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: you like. Now that you're nice and settled, There is
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: another eternal rhythm that you can visualize tonight. Imagine that
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: you are all by yourself on a beautiful beach. Hear
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: the calming sounds of waves crashing on the shore. See
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: the rolling water which reaches all the way to the horizon.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: and the clear blue sky above. Feel the sand between
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: your toes. Taste the salty air on your tongue. This
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: is where our story begins.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: Jenny woke slowly to the distant cries of seagulls and
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: the feeling of the warm early morning sun resting on
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: her face. Stretching luxuriously in bed, she turned over to
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: face the ceiling and slowly remembered that she was on vacation.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: Picking up her watch on the small side table, she
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: could see it was still early. She had slept peacefully
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: all night, and now she felt well rested and ready
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: to enjoy the lazy day ahead. The rest of the
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: small hotel still seemed to be asleep. She would have
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: thought herself the first person awake if it hadn't been
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: for the sound of a door being lightly latched in
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: the hallway, followed by tiptoeing steps going down the stairs.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: There was another early bird here, trying to be kind
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: and thoughtful. It made her smile. This was the perfect
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: peaceful start to her day. Setting up, she pulled aside
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: the fluffy white comforter and swung her feet to the
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: wide planks of the wooden floor. She could feel their glossy,
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: painted boards under her toes, worn smooth. by over a
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: hundred years of use. Jenny stood up and stretched, peering
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: out the window. Her room overlooked the front of the
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: charming hotel. Across the street, there was a row of
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: traditional older homes with lovely large porches. Some of them
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: had flags snapping in the breeze. A couple of them
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: had bicycles outside. Jenny spied one of the comfortable, old-fashioned
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: bikes called cruisers that were often seen on the beach.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: These bikes always seemed to come in happy colors, like
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: yellow and pink. As she watched out the window, Ginny
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: could see surfers walking away from the shore with their large,
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: colorful boards in tow. They had no doubt arrived at
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: first light and had already been enjoying the waves for hours.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Dripping wet, they also looked happy and relaxed. as they
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: returned to their cars. She imagined that they must be
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: looking forward to a hearty breakfast. Turning and peering through
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: the side of the window, Jenny could see the front
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: of the hotel, with its bay windows and festive flower
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: boxes overflowing with petunias. The porch was arranged comfortably with
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: rocking chairs and small tables for resting a cup of
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: coffee or a glass of lemonade. One guest was sitting
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: in blissful solitude, browsing the newspaper with a steaming cup
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: of coffee next to him. She made a mental note,
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: to find some time to relax on the porch later.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: Jenny and her friend Chris had planned to meet for
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: breakfast when the hotel restaurant opened. Chris was staying in
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: another snug little room right down the hall. They had
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: decided to do this beach getaway spontaneously thinking it would
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: be the perfect change of scenery. Now that she was here,
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: Ginny could see this little enclave had been the ideal choice.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: It was such a sleepy place, with just a hotel,
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: a quiet neighborhood, and a roadside stand for snacks, coffees,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: and essentials. The hotel itself had stood there for a
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: very long time, with the homes around it slowly appearing
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: throughout the years. Since the busy city was only 20
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: minutes away, there had never been any need to add
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: the bustle of shops and other conveniences here. The hotel
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: offered handy amenities like umbrellas, chairs, and beach toys. Food
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: was available at the restaurant, even for takeout on the beach.
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: What else could a vacationer really want? The peace and
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: quiet of this hidden spot was definitely worth the trade-off.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: Jenny opened her canvas weekend bag and pulled out the
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: items she would need for the beach. She loved the
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: fact that she'd be going down to breakfast in comfy beachwear.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: There was something so lovely about dressing purely for leisure.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: she couldn't wait to dig her toes into the warm sand.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: The weather forecast was absolutely perfect for a beach day.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: After brushing her teeth and tidying her hair, Jenny laid
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: out her beach tote on the bed. She made sure
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: she had her latest novel, and her sunglasses as well
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: as lip balm and a water bottle. With everything she
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: needed in tow Jenny still had a few extra minutes
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: before meeting Chris. She decided to head downstairs early and
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: make a visit to the coffee station. She picked up
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: her key with its diamond-shaped plastic keychain bearing her room number.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: Then she stepped out into the hallway and quietly locked
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: her weathered white door. The painted white floors in the
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: hallway were the same as the ones in her room.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: Stretching the length of the narrow corridor, they gave the
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: space a clean, bright feeling. At either end of the
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: hall was a staircase leading to the lower level. On
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: the walls between the rooms, there were vintage prints that
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: showed people from many years ago enjoying the beach in
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: their old-fashioned bathing suits. One of the pictures was an
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: antique illustration of a lobster. Jenny walked the long way
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: down the hall to the stairs at the other end
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: and descended to the lobby. The front desk was currently empty.
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: There was a bell on the desk that you could
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: ring if you needed anything right away. But since arriving,
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Jenny hadn't seen anyone use it. Nobody here was in
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: a hurry. Stepping into the well-stocked coffee station, she chose
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: a mug and filled it with a steaming dark brew
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: from the dispenser. She took a tentative sip and nodded appreciatively.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: as the strong flavor revealed itself. This hotel made good coffee.
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: She only had a few minutes to wait before Chris
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: would appear. Jenny pushed open the screen door and made
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: her way into the spacious porch. The man who had
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: been reading there earlier had gone. She had the whole
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: place to herself. Sitting down on a wicker chair, she
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: set her cup on a nearby table and leaned back gently.
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: The weather was already balmy and pleasant, even at this
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: early hour. A gentle breeze blew catching tendrils of hair
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: that had escaped from her ponytail. She felt like she
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: could take a nap right here and stay all day,
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: but she knew the beach was waiting for her. After
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: a few minutes, the screen door opened and Chris stuck
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: her head out on the porch. Good morning, She said,
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: are you ready for breakfast? The two women made their
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: way to the hotel restaurant. The host greeted them both warmly.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: He led them out to the screened porch at the
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: side of the hotel. Jenny and Chris were delighted to
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: get a cozy table for two in a sunny corner spot.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: The server poured them each a glass of ice-cold water
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: out of a charming carafe in the middle of the table.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: She took their orders and told them she'd be back soon.
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: As they waited for their breakfast, the two women poured
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: over a paper copy of the takeout menu. They knew
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: they'd want to choose something to carry to the beach
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: with them for lunch later. There were all kinds of
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: delicious things, from cold sandwiches to boardwalk-style favorites like grilled
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: cheese and hot dogs. Jenny decided to get a lobster
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: roll with mayo, and Chris opted for a chicken salad sandwich.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: One thing Jenny always laughed about beach days was how
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: amazing her food tasted by the time lunch came around.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: There was something about lying on the sand that made
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: everything taste better. She was looking forward to biting into
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: that lobster roll after a few hours on the shore.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: While they were eating breakfast, a few other people were
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: seated around them. A family sat at a larger table nearby.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: They talked happily about their beach adventures from the day before.
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: Other tables looked like they might be couples on a getaway,
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: or old friends having a weekend trip together. The mood
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: was relaxed and happy. Almost everyone was wearing shorts, sun hats,
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: or flip-flops. When they finished their bagels, fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: and fruit, Jenny and Chris pushed back from their table
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: and gathered their beach totes. They were ready to walk
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: the short distance to the water and find the perfect
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: place to set up for the day. Returning through the
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: lobby to the front porch, they took advantage of the
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: free beach equipment the hotel had to offer. Chris selected
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: an umbrella and Ginny chose two beach chairs instead. that
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: could be carried over her shoulder on a strap. They
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: walked down the front steps and joined the growing number
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: of people ambling in the direction of the surf. It
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: was such a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. There was no
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: sidewalk to speak of. People were simply coming out from
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: houses along the street and making a five minute walk
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: to the sand carrying everything they needed it was all
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: so easy Jenny thought to herself how amazing it was
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: to be actually staying so close to the water their
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: location made all the difference Within minutes, the two friends
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: had arrived at the steps down to the sand, which
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: stretched an inviting golden strip ahead of them. Luckily, it
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: was low tide. The beach was at its most generous
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: size for now. Children who were arriving with their parents
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: dropped their sand toys and and raced each other down
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: to the water's edge. The parents chuckled to themselves as
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: they slowly found spots that would be safe from the
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: incoming tide, at least until early afternoon. Jenny and Chris
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: took their cues from the appearance of the sand and
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: did the same. they placed their umbrella where it was
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: dry and soft, rather than damp and smooth. This was
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: an area that the tide had not covered recently. Since
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: it was just the two of them, they were traveling light.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: Jenny and Chris were soon set up with their umbrella
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: and their two chairs, facing the gently glittering surf. Leaning
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: back into her seat, Jenny heaved a huge sigh and
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: closed her eyes. The sound of the waves drifted soothingly
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: across the beach to where they sat, and seagulls could
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: be heard crying faintly here and there, A light breeze blew,
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: bringing the invigorating smell and the elusive taste of salt.
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: She wanted to freeze time. This was perfection. For a
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: few minutes, the two friends were quiet, taking time fully
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: appreciate this wonderful place. After that, they fell into easy
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: conversation for a while and then both Jenny and Chris
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: pulled out their novels and started reading. There was a
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: mutual agreement that this was a time to get lost
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: in a book. Around them, other beachgoers settled into their
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: own activities. A family nearby began building an elaborate sandcastle.
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: Their small children made countless trips to and from the
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: surf to bring water into a bucket to fill the moat.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: It didn't matter to them that the sand was was
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: absorbing the water. Just fetching the water was wonderful entertainment.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: A young couple on the beach was playing frisbee. A
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: dog jumped happily between them, trying to catch the red
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: soaring disc. Occasionally, the frisbee would fly wide, and another
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: person on the beach would would cheerfully pick it up
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: and hand it back. Most of them also asked if
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: they could pet the dog, who wanted to make friends
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: with every single beachgoer. There was no boardwalk here. There
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: were no planes flying overhead with advertising banners. There wasn't
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: any car traffic. This speech truly was a sweet little
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: secret from the world. In this lazy manner, time just
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: slipped silently by. Jenny wasn't sure how long she read,
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: but she realized at some point that the sun was
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: high in the sky and she had drifted off to sleep.
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: dropping her book in her lap. Stirring herself, she looked
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: over at Chris, who eyed her with a smile over
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: the top of her own book. Jenny didn't know exactly
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: what time it was, but realized she was ready for
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: that lobster roll she'd brought. They opened up the bag
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: and unwrapped their lunch with delight, sticking cold bottles of
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: water next to them in the sand and tearing open
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: their bags of potato chips with a satisfying pop. The
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: tide had come in a bit since they'd sat down.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: Children who had been energetic a few hours ago were
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: now drifting to the shade of their parents' little tents
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: and umbrellas to claim their midday snacks. Jenny noticed a
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: mother nearby whose baby was clearly asleep lying across her lap.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: The sea air was both refreshing and sleep-inducing. The lobster
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: roll and the chicken salad sandwich were soon eaten. Both
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: were excellent dishes Jenny and Chris agreed. Having dusted a
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: few crumbs of chips and bread off her lap, Jenny
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: stood up and told Chris that she was going to
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: go stick her toes in the water. Chris nodded with understanding.
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: Sitting in the sun all this time was making the
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: sparkling water look irresistible. Jenny wandered down to the waves
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: and stood looking at her feet as the surf crept
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: up the beach and covered her to her ankles. It
• 27:13
  Speaker 2: was deliciously chilly, a perfect antidote to the sun she'd
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: been soaking up for hours now. Reaching down, she splashed
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: some of the frigid water on her shoulders and the
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: back of her neck she shielded her eyes from the
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: sun and surveyed the activity in the water. A woman
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: floated nearby on an inner tube, eating an ice cream sandwich.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: Now that is a great idea, Jenny thought with a grin.
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: Jenny stood and observed the wet ground under her feet
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: as the water washed in paused for a few moments,
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: and then sucked away again. There was some glittery gold
• 28:11
  Speaker 2: substance mixed into the sand that you could only see
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: when it was underwater. It was very pretty. Walking along
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: the edge of the surf, she came to a rocky
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: area that was filled with tidepools. Balancing her bare feet
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: on the bumpy rocks, she peered into the trapped puddles
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: of water and watched tiny hermit crabs scurrying about. There
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: were children nearby on their knees, giving the creatures a
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: closer look. One of them ran back toward his parents
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: on the beach to report his exciting discovery to them.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: Looking up from the tide pools, Jenny could see Chris,
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: who now seemed small and far away on the beach.
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: She slowly worked her way back along the encroaching tide
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: until she reached their umbrella and returned to her seat.
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: Picking up her book again, Jenny noticed that Chris had
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: dozed off, and smiled to herself. Just this short amble
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: along the shore had been enough to make her want
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: to sit and relax again as the afternoon wore on
• 29:49
  Speaker 2: time seemed to pause Jenny looked up frequently from her
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: book and became pleasantly lost in thought She watched a
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: man flying a colorful kite and observed the growth of
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: the sandcastle fortress near her. Some of the children she'd
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: seen running all day fell asleep in the shade near
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: their parents. A few of the families around her began
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: to slowly pack up, shaking sand from their buckets, filling
• 30:29
  Speaker 2: in holes in and collapsing their colorful beach chairs. Thanks
• 30:36
  Speaker 2: to the turning of the tide, the water was now
• 30:40
  Speaker 2: getting much closer to where they were sitting. When Chris
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: awoke from her nap, Jenny confessed that she was feeling
• 30:50
  Speaker 2: a bit warm, and that she was also hungry. Chris
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: agreed that it might be a good time to return
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: to the hotel, have a snack, and clean up for dinner.
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: Packing up their belongings and the borrowed beach equipment, Jenny
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: and Chris slipped on their flip-flops and slowly climbed the
• 31:18
  Speaker 2: stone stairs behind them to get back to the street.
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: It was a busy time of the afternoon up there,
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: Not only were numerous beachgoers packing it in and heading
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: away from the water, but there was all kinds of
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: other activity popping up in the yards of the homes
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: facing the street. At one sprawling home, a family was
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: playing a good-natured game of croquet. Next door, a group
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: of people were setting up an outdoor table for a
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: meal while children tumbled in and out of the house.
• 32:08
  Speaker 2: Some of the kids looked like they'd already taken a
• 32:12
  Speaker 2: bath and been dressed for dinner. Others were still in
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: bathing suits and were probably waiting their turn. They remained
• 32:23
  Speaker 2: gloriously sandy and ran roughshod through the yard chasing each
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: other with dripping popsicles in hand. Jenny and Chris soon
• 32:38
  Speaker 2: arrived back at the hotel and gratefully unloaded their umbrella
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: and chairs on the porch. After dusting them off, they
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: carefully stacked the borrowed items where they'd found them earlier,
• 32:55
  Speaker 2: leaving them nicely for the next guests who needed them.
• 33:02
  Speaker 2: Entering the lobby, they were delighted to discover that they'd
• 33:06
  Speaker 2: stumbled upon the afternoon coffee hour. Not only were there
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: hot drinks and iced lemon water, but there were warm
• 33:19
  Speaker 2: chocolate chip cookies laid out, each in its own paper sleeve.
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: Jenny picked one that looked good and smiled as she
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: pulled it out of the paper and took a bite.
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: The cookie was soft and covered in large crystals of
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: white sugar, and the semi-sweet chips were slightly melted. Dropping
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: into two easy chairs in the lounge area, Jenny and
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Chris grinned widely as they ate their cookies in silence.
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: These snacks would be the perfect bite to tide them
• 34:02
  Speaker 2: over until their late dinner reservation in the restaurant. They
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: watched people file in and out of the lobby for
• 34:13
  Speaker 2: a while. Some greeted each other warmly, and others were
• 34:18
  Speaker 2: there with questions for the desk attendant. After a bit...
• 34:25
  Speaker 2: Chris suggested that she and Ginny part for a while
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: to rest and clean up their rooms. They decided it
• 34:35
  Speaker 2: would be a great idea to meet again at twilight
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: and take a walk around the neighborhood before dinner. In
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: single file, they climbed the old wooden staircase to the
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: upper level. Once they were in the hall, They went
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: their own separate ways, agreeing to see each other in
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: the lobby soon. Jenny pulled out her room key with
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: its plastic keychain and fitted it into the lock. It
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: made a satisfying clunking noise, and the door swung open.
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: There was her room, with sun pouring in the windows.
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: and her soft bed piled high with white linens. She
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: sighed with happiness. After cleaning up for dinner, Ginny curled
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: up in the decadent orange velvet chair by the window.
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: From her regal perch, she could see people strolling by
• 35:47
  Speaker 2: on the sidewalk outside. The petunias in the window box
• 35:53
  Speaker 2: bobbed cheerfully in the breeze. She saw the different groups
• 35:59
  Speaker 2: of people streaming up the road as they headed home
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: from their own late afternoon activities. A nap, a game,
• 36:11
  Speaker 2: or a chat with friends. Leaning her head on the
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: back of the chair, she breathed deeply in and out
• 36:21
  Speaker 2: several times, She couldn't remember when she'd been so relaxed.
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: Without realizing it, Jenny slipped into a light nap. She
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: awoke to the fluttering of her white curtains in the
• 36:40
  Speaker 2: setting sun. Looking at her watch, she could see she
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: hadn't slept long. She was still on time to meet
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: up with Chris. Rising and stretching her arms, she slowly
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: circled the room, picking up her small purse and her key.
• 37:05
  Speaker 2: Then she slipped quietly into the hallway, locking up just
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: as Chris appeared a few doors down, doing the same thing. Together,
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: they headed to the lobby. The coffee station was still
• 37:24
  Speaker 2: there but the cookies had been cleared away in preparation
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: for the dinner hour. He came into the restaurant. Jenny
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: could see the servers setting up the tables and seating
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: the first few guests of the evening. She and Chris
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: would be ready for a relaxing dinner after their walk.
• 37:54
  Speaker 2: As they exited the swinging screen door to the porch,
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: the sound of water glasses gently clinked behind them inside
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: the hotel. Turning toward the beach, they were treated to
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: a blazing pink and orange sunset. Lots of other people
• 38:17
  Speaker 2: were out in their yards, watching the gorgeous display in
• 38:21
  Speaker 2: the sky. As they made their way down the street,
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: they were intrigued to see what was going on at
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: each home. The houses were charmingly unique. Each one was
• 38:40
  Speaker 2: built in its own style, according to the wishes of
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: the owner and the period in which it had been constructed.
• 38:54
  Speaker 2: A humble cape with a slanted roof and charming shutters
• 38:59
  Speaker 2: might sit next to a more contemporary home with huge
• 39:04
  Speaker 2: glass windows. Then, next to that, they would see a
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: very traditional farmhouse-style home with a large, gracious porch. Many
• 39:21
  Speaker 2: of the houses had tables and outdoor furniture that showed
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: the residents spent a lot of time eating. alfresco. In
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: one yard, they saw a woman relaxing with a little
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: girl in a hammock. At this hour, with night falling
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: and the houses lit from within, windows thrown wide, It
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: was easy to see the occupants all enjoying time together
• 39:56
  Speaker 2: inside as well. People sipped drinks on couches, gathered around
• 40:04
  Speaker 2: cheese board, and even played the piano. At one home,
• 40:11
  Speaker 2: a pile of sand toys was drying in front of
• 40:15
  Speaker 2: the garage. and a man was playing catch in the
• 40:19
  Speaker 2: front garden with two small girls. The dogs pranced excitedly
• 40:27
  Speaker 2: behind picket fences. What a great life for a dog,
• 40:33
  Speaker 2: Jenny thought. She noticed that more and more people were
• 40:40
  Speaker 2: appearing outside and setting up luminaries to line their driveways.
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: They would place a white paper bag on the walk,
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: fill it partway with sand, and sink a lit candle
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: in the center. Some homes didn't have luminaries, but they
• 41:04
  Speaker 2: had roped white lights around their trees and fences. Chris
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: mentioned that she'd seen a flyer reminding everyone that today
• 41:17
  Speaker 2: was called night of white lights and that this must
• 41:23
  Speaker 2: be why all the homes were illuminated so festively. Jenny
• 41:31
  Speaker 2: thought it was charming and the street looked beautiful. Their
• 41:38
  Speaker 2: walk eventually took them on a stretch that ran parallel
• 41:43
  Speaker 2: to the beach. The tide had reached its height and
• 41:47
  Speaker 2: while they were resting at the hotel, and now it
• 41:52
  Speaker 2: was on its way out again. People who appeared to
• 41:58
  Speaker 2: have wandered away from their evening activities could be seen
• 42:02
  Speaker 2: in pairs and small groups up and down the beach,
• 42:08
  Speaker 2: admiring the moon or tossing toys for their dogs to catch.
• 42:15
  Speaker 2: Jenny loved that most of them appeared to have wandered
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: a block or two completely barefoot. Jenny and Chris soon
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: arrived back at the hotel, marveling that they had finished
• 42:32
  Speaker 2: their walk at just the right time. They re-entered the
• 42:40
  Speaker 2: lobby and then waited patiently for the restaurant host to
• 42:45
  Speaker 2: take them to their reserved table. The atmosphere inside the
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: spacious dining room was lovely now. Votive candles flickered on
• 42:58
  Speaker 2: every table, and the two screened porches on either side
• 43:04
  Speaker 2: were filled with diners, leaning over their meals in quiet conversations.
• 43:13
  Speaker 2: Jenny and Chris were seated at a snug table in
• 43:17
  Speaker 2: a nook where they could feel the warm breezes drifting
• 43:21
  Speaker 2: by from outside. Looking at their menus, they could hardly
• 43:29
  Speaker 2: choose a favorite. There were dishes for every taste. Fresh seafood, pastas,
• 43:38
  Speaker 2: wood-fired pizzas, and more. After much thought, Jenny decided on
• 43:46
  Speaker 2: a seafood pasta and Chris chose pizza. Both dishes were
• 43:53
  Speaker 2: perfect after a long day on the beach. Why was it,
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: Jenny wondered, that a person got so hungry from just
• 44:05
  Speaker 2: sitting in the sand? It was truly one of the
• 44:10
  Speaker 2: mysteries of life. They followed up their dinner with a
• 44:17
  Speaker 2: slice of cheesecake. Jenny took care to savor every bite,
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: slicing off small pieces with her fork and enjoying the
• 44:28
  Speaker 2: rich creaminess of the dessert. Once the cheesecake was finished,
• 44:36
  Speaker 2: they both had to admit they were truly ready to
• 44:40
  Speaker 2: head upstairs to bed. The two friends were full, happy,
• 44:47
  Speaker 2: and as relaxed as they could ever remember being. Thanking
• 44:54
  Speaker 2: the server and the host, they walked very slowly back
• 44:58
  Speaker 2: into the lobby. The only person there at the moment
• 45:03
  Speaker 2: was the nighttime desk attendant. She was clearing away all
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: the coffee and preparing the drink stations. to start again
• 45:14
  Speaker 2: in the morning. The woman turned and smiled at them.
• 45:20
  Speaker 2: Did you have a good dinner? She asked. They both nodded,
• 45:25
  Speaker 2: saying that it had been amazing. And it had. Jenny
• 45:30
  Speaker 2: and Chris each helped themselves to a fresh glass of
• 45:34
  Speaker 2: water from the drink station and then headed upstairs to
• 45:39
  Speaker 2: their rooms. Parting ways on the landing, they wished each
• 45:45
  Speaker 2: other goodnight. They would both reminisce about this marvelous day
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: for a long time. Back in her room, Jenny sank
• 45:57
  Speaker 2: gratefully into her big, soft bed. Looking appreciatively around her,
• 46:05
  Speaker 2: she reflected on what a lovely place this was. Thanks
• 46:11
  Speaker 2: to the balmy temperatures, the windows were still open, and
• 46:16
  Speaker 2: the occasional conversation or sound of a bicycle could be
• 46:21
  Speaker 2: heard on the street below. Jenny propped herself up with
• 46:28
  Speaker 2: a mound of white pillows and angled her book toward
• 46:33
  Speaker 2: the golden pool of light coming from her bedside lamp.
• 46:40
  Speaker 2: The silence in the room was absolute, as if it
• 46:45
  Speaker 2: was a tiny cocoon drifting through the world of the
• 46:49
  Speaker 2: seaside town outside. She had thought she might finish her novel,
• 46:59
  Speaker 2: but her eyelids soon began to droop, and Ginny realized
• 47:05
  Speaker 2: it was time to sleep. Putting her book aside for tomorrow,
• 47:14
  Speaker 2: she laid her piles of pillows flat, reached over, and
• 47:20
  Speaker 2: switched off the lamp. Turning on her side, she gazed
• 47:30
  Speaker 2: sleepily at the slice of moonlight shining across the white-painted
• 47:36
  Speaker 2: floors in the dark. Everything here was golden and white,
• 47:45
  Speaker 2: she thought. Now only half awake, the salty breeze fluttered
• 47:56
  Speaker 2: her curtains once again. As she slipped into sweet dreams,
• 48:05
  Speaker 2: Jenny heard the distant sounds of the surf breaking on
• 48:10
  Speaker 2: the sand. Then she slept. Good night. Thank you. Thank you.
• 49:12
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for watching!
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 52:23
  Speaker 2: You can see that the two of them are very
• 52:24
  Speaker 2: close to each other.
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 54:06
  Speaker 2: Thank you.