The weather that we had this past week made me feel like we teleported right into summer. So naturally, the heat was the perfect excuse to take advantage of the beautiful beaches in Fairfield. On Friday of last week, my friends and I planned a beach trip after our classes to make the most of the high temps. The serotonin I felt from stepping onto the beach and seeing it full of my fellow Stags all soaking up the sun was truly unbeatable.
My friends and I lounged on the beach for hours listening to music, reading books and testing out the water (although it was too cold to take a full dip). Our successful beach day turned out to be one of my favorite days of my sophomore year. If you haven’t made a beach trip yet, it is a must before the school year comes to an end. Here are my tips and tricks for the perfect Fairfield beach day!
- Pack layers
Friday’s temperature of over eighty degrees definitely warranted shorts, a T-shirt and a bathing suit during the day, but I did not plan for the cooler temps that would come in the evening. As it got later in the day and the ocean breeze became a little chilly I found myself wishing that I had packed a light sweatshirt to cozy up in. Although I was very content soaking up the sun in my bathing suit, it definitely does not cover up enough to provide any amount of warmth. If you hit the beach anytime soon, come prepared for any weather. I would recommend wearing a bathing suit with shorts and a T-shirt and packing a sweatshirt just in case. You could even pack sweatpants too if you are going on a cooler day. Being prepared for any kind of weather will definitely make your beach day way more enjoyable.
- Bring a trash bag
No one likes people who leave their trash all over the beach. Don’t be that guy. Always come prepared with a trash bag to throw out any snacks, drinks, or trash that accumulates during your trip. You can even pick up any trash previously left on the beach and toss it into your trash bag to make the beach a cleaner place for everyone. We are so lucky to have beaches in such close proximity to our school, so it is our responsibility to keep them clean for everyone to enjoy!
- Pack snacks
In order to avoid getting “hangry” at the beach, plan ahead and pack snacks to keep you fueled up in the hot sun. Family-size bags of chips, Cheez-It’s and pretzels are my go-to beach snacks. These bigger bags are ideal because you can share them with friends and they create far less trash than anything individually packaged. Sandwiches are also a great beach meal if you think you’ll need something more substantial. My friends and I brought a cooler with popsicles to cool us down which was definitely a crowd-favorite snack option. Along with your snacks, be sure to bring some cold water to keep you hydrated in the sun!
- Sunscreen
If you are someone who always tells yourself that you’ll get a burn first because it’ll turn into a tan, this one is for you. Too many times I have self-sabotaged by convincing myself that I won’t get a sunburn which has always resulted in red skin and regret. No one likes being sunburnt, so sunscreen is a necessity on any beach trip. Even if the UV index is low or the sun is behind clouds, stay safe and sunscreen up anyways. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
- Music
Everyone knows that music makes or breaks the vibe in any given scenario. Because of this, a speaker and a solid summer playlist are essentials when coming to the beach. I have been working on my summer playlist since spring break, so you can imagine that I was eager to whip it out for my big beach day. If you’re a Spotify Premium user like myself, you can start a remote group session and send the link to your friends. This way, everyone can cue up songs and control the same speaker from their own phones. My friends and I loved using this feature at the beach because it was an easy way to combine all of our music tastes and favorite songs!
So there you have it, my holy grail of beach day tips! Hopefully, this will come in handy for those of you who are planning to visit the sand and shores in the near future. I know I am already looking forward to the next sunny day when I can hit the beach!
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