It's summertime and for many people that means hitting the local beach. If you think that spending time at the beach is limited to just swimming, you have a lot to learn. There are tons of other great activities that can be enjoyed on the beach.

Here are some of the most fun things that you can do at the beach besides just going swimming:

1. Bonfire parties. Where fires are allowed on the beach, it's great to hold huge parties where people come to play music, dance, roast marshmallows and just have a great time.

2. Look for dolphins. Many beaches throughout the world offer the chance to see dolphins right from the shore if you know what you're looking for and when to look.

3. Write messages in the sand. You can write them big or small, say anything that you want and then take a picture that will last forever. These pictures can be made into unique postcards to send to the folks back home.

4. Play at the boardwalk. Many beaches have boardwalks where you can play arcade games, ride rollercoasters, eat fair food and enjoy free summer concerts on the sand.

5. Picnic. There are always a lot of food vendors near popular beaches but sometimes it's nice to pack yourself a really nice picnic with fancy cheeses and luscious fruits and to go indulge in at the beach.

6. Frisbee. This is a classic beach game and it is one that people never get tired of enjoying together. There are more advanced versions like Frisbee golf, extreme Frisbee and Aerobie but the old version will do just fine.

7. Hiking. Many beaches offer nearby trails where you can hike to or from the water. This offers great exercise and the water is great for cooling down after the hike.

8. Fishing. It's one of the most relaxing things that you can do at the beach and something people have been doing here for centuries.

9. Read magazines. A beach vacation is supposed to be completely relaxing. Park yourself under a shade umbrella, catch a few rays and read some magazines or a cheap novel.

10. Build a sandcastle. From the simplest design to the most elaborate, sandcastles help you pass the time at the beach while doing something really creative and fun.

11. Look for seashells. You can troll the beach looking for seashells and colored glass. Take the best ones home with you and make jewelry or art with them so that you can always remember the fun that you had at the beach.

12. Go window shopping in the little seaside shops. The majority of beaches are located at beach towns. These towns typically have a bunch of little stores set up along the beach. Spend some time browsing when you're ready to get out of the sun.

13. Surfing. Or any other type of water sport such as kayaking, jet ski racing, waterskiing or kitesurfing. Get out on the water and really have yourself an adventure instead of just being lazy!

14. Go topless. There's something really brave about getting naked in public. It's an experience that can make you feel courageous and bold and one that should be tried at least once. Of course, you have to make sure that you're doing this at a nude beach otherwise you're going to get into some serious trouble!

15. Hula hoop. Or play catch. Or jump rope. Or fly a kite. Engage in some sort of child's play when you are at the beach using cheap toys that you can pick up at a nearby store. This will bring back some of the wonder of what it was like to go to the beach as a kid.

16. Write poetry. The beach has been inspiring poems and songs for centuries so you might as well join the tribe of people who like to write when they're by the water. Starting that novel you've always wanted to write or simply keeping a diary of the trip are other creative writing options at the beach.

17. Meet people. Beaches are filled with people so there's no reason that you can't make new friends. Games on the sand - like volleyball - make this easy but there are lots of ways to meet people at the beach.

18. Take photographs. The beach is a great place for getting good photos and those photos will be a great memory to take back from the trip. Wander along with your digital camera and see what there is to see.

19. Search for historic sites. Many beaches are located near places of historic importance which are marked with monuments or signs. You can find these in the most unexpected of places if you keep your eyes open. Military batteries on the water, historic lighthouses and places where battles once took place are all things that you can keep an eye out for.

20. Catch up on phone calls. With cell phones working almost everywhere these days, you should have no problem getting connected to others at the beach. It's a great place to catch up on phone calls while getting a tan - and you can make everyone you talk to jealous because of where you are!

21. Look for little critters. Most people who go looking for animals at the beach are looking for whales or seals or dolphins. Turn your focus to the little critters like the crabs and birds and jellyfish. Spend the day seeing how many different animals you can count.

22. Watch the sunset. This is one of the favorite things that people often do at the beach because it is such a sight to see.

23. Celebrate a holiday or special occasion. People often go to the beach to watch Fourth of July fireworks or to celebrate a honeymoon.

24. Daydream. You're sitting around at the beach with no commitments and nothing demand your attention and that's a great time to just hang out and daydream a little bit. Envision what you want your life to look like in five or ten years, where you wish you could travel or what you would do if you won the lottery.

25. Relax. You don't have to daydream or take pictures or do anything at all. You can just sit there and relax. You're on vacation after all!

Of course, the truth of the matter is that going to the beach is usually fun no matter what you do there because you're getting away from real life and enjoying a scenic travel destination. It's just nice to know that there are plenty of things to do besides suntan and swim while you're there!

Top 10 Reasons to Retire Right Away

“Just five more hours until the weekend. I can hardly wait.”

“Just five more weeks until my vacation. I can hardly wait.”

“Just five more years until retirement. I can hardly wait.”
Whenever you catch yourself saying something like this, it’s time to stop and evaluate things. If you are thinking this way too often it means that you are not living a meaningful life in the present. Your work life has become a burden and you are dreaming of escape.


The thing is, the escape you are dreaming of is usually short-lived or an illusion. The weekend will be over before you know it. The vacation will be a collection of photos and memories before long. As for retirement, well, the fact is we get old quickly in our advancing years, so you don’t want to wait until then to really start living.
To me retirement is about doing what you love. If you are living with passion and doing the things you love, while also embracing the things you don't necessarily enjoy but recognize as important, you're living a retirement lifestyle. You have to ask yourself, “ If money were not an issue, what would I be doing?” If the answer is, “What I'm doing right now,” then you have arrived. Loving what you do means that you are always living in the moment instead of waiting for that better moment that always seems to be in the future. Loving what you do every day is an ideal worth pursuing and it is a mindset you can cultivate.
The point is, if you don’t feel that way about what you’re doing—if you don’t feel like you are retired already,  if you’re not energized about the possibilities every day brings, and excited and grateful for the opportunity to engage with them—something is wrong and you need to address it. You shouldn’t just bear with it and wait for the next “escape.”
Life is short. It’s much shorter if you only live it on weekends.

Remember that retirement is the best opportunity to relax and do what you want, where you want and with who you want.

The top ten reasons to retire is a way to look at your own retirement plan. While you may enjoy your work and what you are rewarded from it, you need to take a break and live your life away from that office.

Consider the following reasons to retire:

1. We grow older each day and that means each day the time that we have to enjoy all the wonders of the earth gets a little shorter. There’s no point complaining about it – it’s just a fact of life. Nobody can anticipate what the future holds for us. Life is more than working for a living and paying taxes.

2. Being at your workplace on most days of the week makes you miss a lot of the fun things in life. Have you tried to do anything out of the ordinary like skydiving or bungee jumping? Ever thought about all the hobbies you started but never had time to finish? Retirement is the perfect opportunity to try things that are new and old. If you want to get a head start on those activities remember to consider early retirement.

3. Important to our top ten reasons to retire is that when you are working, the most that you see are the four corners of your office and the way to and from your workplace. You miss out on the opportunity to see the world. By leaving the workforce and retiring you get to see beyond your world and take those trips that you’ve seen in magazines all your life and experience something totally new and amazing.

4. Life forces us to deal with people or situations that we would not necessarily like deal with. Dealing with these people and situations creates a great deal of stress. Once you retire, you can choose the people you want to hang around with.

5. There are events in life that are left to “what-ifs”. You certainly cannot get back time that has already passed, yet you do not necessarily have to live and wonder what if you did things differently. One good reason in the top ten reasons to retire is to make those what ifs a reality. In that way, you live a life with no regrets.

6. Life should not be an endless toil. At the start of your career you may have your goals and as you achieve each of those, they will be replaced by new goals. While you are working you may find that you do not have the time to complete one goal after another. By retiring you give yourself the opportunity to achieve your goals and finally feel that satisfaction you were looking for.

7. Life provides you a lot of things and as you work you continue to receive more. However, it is usually only yourself who benefits from your work. Working too long makes you lose the opportunity to give unto others a part of what you have received. By retiring, you can still get involved socially and be a bigger part of the community.

8. In the top ten reasons to retire remember that nothing remains constant. Not everything will remain as good as they currently are. Retire when you still have the chance to enjoy life. Retire when life still has a lot of good things to offer you. Do not wait too long to retire or you run the risk of not being able to enjoy life to the fullest extent that you can today.

9. Not everyone gets to be the boss. In the workplace, you may be the one of the many employees who works throughout the day for someone else’s rewards. If you are tired from being ordered around, the good news is that you do not have to put up with it all your life!. You can choose to retire and do the things you want in your own terms free from bosses, deadlines and clients.

10. The last of the top ten reasons to retire is that you will have the opportunity to break free from all the mundane routine of life. You can choose to wake up late. You can choose to spend the day tending to your garden, learning how to paint, enjoying your family and friends – the list is really endless. The best thing is that you can choose to do anything to your heart’s content.

Those are just the top ten reasons to retire. At the end of the day it is you who will make the call to retire or not no matter what the reason is. If you are tired and you simply want to live your life, make sure you plan your retirement. You can make up your own top ten reasons to retire and maybe end up with an even longer list, but the way to get there is to make it happen.






 1 year ago by Imtiaz Manji  reposted by Janet Santiago