BROUGHT TO MIND â—½ HOME
It’s 2009. We’re driving through the beach town and past the palm trees until sand becomes visible beyond the grass and weeds. Finally, I spot the ocean through a gap in the dunes and fall in love at first sight.
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Late summer always brings back memories of Port Aransas. I went there every year with my family until hurricane Harvey interrupted our plans in 2017. After that, the tradition faded, but Port Aransas holds the same place in my heart. I went last summer for the first time in several years, and it still felt like home, rich with all my favorite childhood memories.
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I’ve always loved the souvenir shops, especially the ones that sell model ships. I got this ship on one of my first trips. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to nautical things now. The weathered wood,
antique colors, and rugged practicality remind me of Port Aransas more than bright, tropical colors and patterns do. The smell of the ocean, the sea-faring ephemera on the walls of seafood restaurants, the sun and storm worn paint on the buildings—my little ship brings it all to mind.
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My affection for Port “A” says a lot about what makes places special. It’s just a shabby little beach town. Harvey did damage that’s never been repaired. The beach is the grey-brown sand and grey-green water of the Gulf of Mexico. There are no resorts or gourmet restaurants. It’s not a tourist or Instagrammer’s paradise.
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But it’s my shabby little beach town, and that’s what matters.
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We leave something of ourselves in our favorite places. Port “A” is always waiting for me, almost as if that little girl in her leopard print swimsuit is beckoning from the dunes, her blonde curls dancing in the ocean breeze. She sees beauty in green waves and dusty model ships.
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That’s how we should feel about home, wherever it may be. It’s not about what magazines or friends or strangers online call beautiful. It’s about where we’ve left all the different pieces of ourselves and where we find it easiest to pick them up again and feel whole.
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Even though I’m not going to Port Aransas this year, it’s still seashore season in my heart. Anytime I look at the little ship on my shelf, my memories set sail.