There’s something bittersweet about the bay in South Jersey. Upon first whiff, your nostrils may tend to shy away and block out the pungent aroma reminiscent of sewage. But if you get past that and finish the second half of your breath, the smell of El Mar is more calming than offensive. Especially on a sunny Sunday afternoon, as boaters skim by and fishermen sit on their docks, enjoying the nothingness.
Maybe it’s the realization that a block toward the East is the very end of land–or the beginning, if you think of it historically. You can stand up facing the seemingly endless ocean, wobbling in the wind, and literally put the rest of the world behind you. That, plus the soothing sounds of waves gently crashing on the shore will put anybody in a state of Zen.
For those that hate on the Jersey Shore…I’ll admit, yeah, we’re dirty. The water isn’t a perfect transparent turquoise like in the Caribbean. But there is a sort of character to these parts, that I’m learning to enjoy more and more lately.
