I almost wasn't going to participate in this week's #memoirmonday, but then the answer came to me and it was too me to pass up. This week, the thoughtful @ericvancewalton wanted to know
When You Were a Child, What Did You Look Forward to Most?
For a second, I felt stumped trying to remember what traits I looked for in people, what I hoped for. The answer appeared, as it often does, much simpler.
As a child, the things I most looked forward to most was the sea.
Travel has changed a lot in my country since I was a kid (a low-key attempt at answering last week's #memoirmonday that I missed). When I was small, Romania was not in the E.U., which meant you needed visas and quite a lot of money (I imagine) to travel abroad. We only entered the Schengen Area earlier this year and it still seems surreal that they no longer ask to see your ID.
Still, my mother @ladyrebecca always made a point of taking her daughter to the beach during the summer. Looking back, I imagine it wasn't easy. As a single parent who made damn sure her kid lacked for nothing, throwing in a week or so at the sea couldn't have been easy. I have friends who never went to the beach and who don't like it much either way now as adults. Simply because their parents never made it a thing in their family.
For me, I can't imagine summer without the sea. Life, really. I've always had a strong connection with the water. I'm an avid swimmer and I'll be out there in the waves even when the water is cold. When I was in Spain before, I'd walk down to the same strip of sea every single day. I couldn't tire of it. Even when it was rainy and the weather was shit, walking along that beach was the best feeling in the world.
I'm hoping to live nearer the sea for good someday. Anyway, back to my childhood.
See that? That's the sea towel. When that old Snoopy rolled outta the closet, you knew it was go-time. Funny, I have worn variations of those same glasses for 20+ years.
As I was quite small, I remember having a blast, but assuming I was as hectic around the water as I am now, I imagine I must've been quite the handful for Mom.
It wasn't just the water I loved. It was everything. The atmosphere. Most years, we went to the same small town on the Romanian coast. Stayed with the same man who was renting out rooms. I remember all the rooms were detached and led straight into this roomy garden with big tables. Beyond, you had a field where the man grew food. I have no clue what else, but I distinctly remember one summer befriending a brother and sister duo from abroad (Dutch, maybe?) and running through the watermelon patches. One of those stowaway memories that sticks.
A friend of my mother also sometimes holidayed with us, along with her own family. With her daughter being about a decade older than I, as a little kid, she seemed the epitome of class.
But best of all, best of all was the fairground. It was like going to space. Such an adventure. I looked forward to that thing all year and remember going gaga over it.
Alas, I don't remember the rides. I've gone back to the town in more recent years (they host a music festival I like) and I think my memory's tainted now. Through grown-up eyes, I'm all too aware of how modest the fairground truly is. The same sort of rides you'd expect, but nothing to write home about or lose your head over.
The atmosphere now is trashy, loud and icky. But then, as a kid, being let loose on pizza and fries and whatever other unhealthy foods every night for a few days was heaven. I didn't have time to notice the obnoxious music (or people), the too packed beaches or the cheap, smelly restaurants.
For me, it was heaven.
It came as an interesting revelation to me (partly why I decided to post) that the thing I looked forward to the most at 5 is the same thing I look forward to most now, at 25. I longed desperately to go away. To see past what is and discover what else is out there.
So thank you, Eric, for giving me food for thought. :)
And because it is Tuesday, I thought I'd combine the two a bit. Now, I don't really remember what I was listening to (if anything) at 5. But here are some summer Romanian songs I have a soft spot for.
("This Summer" in translation) I'm sick of the bed at home. That's how this song starts. Essentially, it's a story about a guy who gets sick of living with his girlfriend and runs away to the beach. Only to remember he loves her and call, humbled, to see if she'll take him back.
("Perfect Without You" in translation) Same band. Same essential story, except different ending. Here, the guy's done with his nagging girlfriend. He now can be himself again and enjoy the beach. 'Cause you may be unhappy and unlucky in love, but how unhappy can you really be at the sea?)
("Love in the Linden Tree", in translation, I think.) My brother says this is a meme song now. Whatever. It was popular when I was small.)
Hi @ablaze! And thank you for bringing music into our lives.
