I’ve been a big city girl most of my life but when I came up
with the moniker Girl Next Shore, I had imagined myself in a state where I would be happiest: being somewhere coastal where daily life is steady and the ocean
spreads out into an infinity of hopeful possibilities. I’d pictured myself as a completely happy girl embracing the sun as it sprinkled freckles on my face; listening to the song of
the sea as it lulled every worry into nothingness; and falling in love with the
will of the wind.
with the moniker Girl Next Shore, I had imagined myself in a state where I would be happiest: being somewhere coastal where daily life is steady and the ocean
spreads out into an infinity of hopeful possibilities. I’d pictured myself as a completely happy girl embracing the sun as it sprinkled freckles on my face; listening to the song of
the sea as it lulled every worry into nothingness; and falling in love with the
will of the wind.
A recent visit to Saint-Tropez made me remember that girl. Serving as a background to the glam life of billionaires, oligarchs
and royalty, this town was a place I didn’t expect to like as much as I do. But it’s not the super yachts that wowed me (and I do love boats) nor the glitzy clubs that called out.
and royalty, this town was a place I didn’t expect to like as much as I do. But it’s not the super yachts that wowed me (and I do love boats) nor the glitzy clubs that called out.
The charm is in the old town itself, when it’s fairly quiet and everyone’s sleeping off the aftermath of the previous night’s revelry. Its beautiful washed out hues of yellow and peach sends off a laidback and dreamy vibe, but port-side scenes and the sound of roaring waves remind you that whilst it is a sleeping village, there is a lot of time to live the dream.
Walking around town made me feel a certain sense of belonging, like I could actually live there eventually. It spoke to me in the very way I heard London calling when I was 16. After a nice walk around town, I nursed a few glasses of rosé piscine (iced rosé wine) at Senequier while I watched people - tourists and locals alike - and life go by. Later, the super yachts and the clubs started beckoning punters, and the peaceful seaside town started getting dressed for another night of hedonism. It was my queue to leave and I realised it’s been five hours since I sat. But in those five hours, I was the most content I’ve been in yonks.
Saint-Tropez was a reminder of the dreamer I once was and how positivity emanates from feeling hopeful. It was also a reminder that beneath the grandeur of dressed up and made up concepts, it’s in simplicity you find beauty, and in the quiet moments you find you.
I’m not the girl you’d always adore
But I’ll always be the girl next shore.
Set sail, find your anchor.
Have you ever felt such strong affinity towards a place?
Photos were taken with my trusty iPhone6.
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