This is why we do our yearly fortnight in the south-west during the summer months, as then I get a chance to spend time by the water. Whether I just go for a walk on the beach or head in for a swim, it's amazing the difference it can make to my mood, as well as my complexion and overall health.
While my favourite beach has to be the one in Teignmouth, any beach makes me happy, which is why I jumped at the chance to go to Perranporth the day after arriving in St Austell.
As well as being a chance for a swim, this was also my first opportunity to wear my new bikini - the first bikini I've bought in years - in public. I was both happy and sad to find that it was now getting too big - I had bought it a size down anyway - which meant that it wasn't too great for wearing in rough water. This didn't stop me though.
I genuinely thought that the water was going to be freezing cold, but it was surprisingly warm. There wasn't that shock when you step into cold water, instead, it was just refreshing and almost instantly washed away the cobwebs. As I got further into the sea, my smile got bigger and bigger and I started to feel more relaxed - even though the waves were doing their best to wipe me out.
This being said, I still got taken out a few times but I honestly didn't care. I did a bit of body surfing with the waves - keeping one eye on our clothes in the beach as the tide moves quickly - and generally just enjoyed being in the water. All of this set me up for the week and helped me to feel a lot less tired after such a long coach journey they day before.
After this, we headed up to meet everyone at the pub and to enjoy a pint of cider in the late afternoon sun while taking in the view.
I kept my bikini on and didn't feel self-conscious at all. I merely enjoyed my favourite Cornish beverage, Rattler Cyder - even though I had to let it go flat - and the feeling of sand in between my toes (I'm still finding the fine, golden sand of Perranporth everywhere).
The day was the perfect proof that you can take the girl out of the south-west but you can't take the south-west out of the girl. I cannot wait to hit the beach again, no matter which one we go to.