Elena is gifting me an early morning on my own, so I quickly think of a slice to write that won’t take too long. I open the Facebook app and scroll through my daily memories. There, I find photos from a trip to Ain Sokhna in 2015. If I remember correctly, that was my first time there. I choose an image and try to recreate my thoughts from 10 years ago:
Ethereal tunes welcome us as we approach the reception of the Thalaso Spa. My body still feels heavy from the loaded omelet I indulged in at the buffet.
“I think I’ll book my massage for noon. No one should be touching me right now,” I tell Trillian. She’s already booking two—one for the next hour and another after lunch.
With our private-beach-goers wristbands and towels in hand, we step inside. We walk through hallways adorned with Egyptian history, past the gym, and through the indoor pool area—Raluca’s preferred retreat when the air turns crisp. When we exit the building, I look ahead and notice no one else at the beach. Sweet!
Trillian picks a spot for us, aiming for as much privacy as possible, predicting the near future when other people will show up. I follow along and arrange my lounger. I’m always grateful for the extra-long towels they have here—no need to tug back and forth as I shift in my seat.
Once we’re settled, we dive into ourselves. We mostly ignore each other for the first few minutes. She reads her book, and I listen to music and study the sand patterns the tide created overnight. It unfolds like a quiet canvas, golden sand kissed by retreating waves. Shallow pools glimmer, mirroring the sky’s delicate brushstrokes.
My mind is restless now—racing thoughts swirl like a rising tide. A year before, I was living a different life, one in which I felt trapped, hopeless, a character in someone’s sad movie. How did I get so lucky to now be here? A privilege I never dared to dream of before.I breathe it all in, waiting for the tide to gently appear and wash my thoughts. After all, the point of these recurrent weekend getaways is to actually get away. Trillian comes to escape the routine and rush of life in Maadi. And me? Maybe I’m still figuring that out.
Start with a Story 
Haha, yes, please! How fun that would be ♥️
LikeLike
Haha rereading that line makes me laugh a bit. Thanks, Trish!
LikeLike
I love how you manage so many vivid details in a 10 year old memory. You transported us readers back there along with you — the power of a photo. I have had similar feelings, looking out at the water, reflecting on where my life has brought me. What luck.
These lines were especially beautiful: “It unfolds like a quiet canvas, golden sand kissed by retreating waves. Shallow pools glimmer, mirroring the sky’s delicate brushstrokes.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is such a beautifully written slice. There are many lines to love, but this is one of my favorites, “It unfolds like a quiet canvas, golden sand kissed by retreating waves. Shallow pools glimmer, mirroring the sky’s delicate brushstrokes.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved this part of your piece so much. “A year before, I was living a different life, one in which I felt trapped, hopeless, a character in someone’s sad movie.” It somehow filled me with hope as a reader. A gentle reminder that the unimaginable can happen in the matter of just a year or maybe even a month. Where we are now is never our final destination.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“No one should be touching me right now.” The chuckle that follows that candid comment on a breakfast splurge sets us up. What follows is a time away, a time to “dive into [yourself}.” All of the beauty and the reference to being just one year ago, “a character in someone’s sad movie.” And now look. A morning to relive it while Elena leaves you in peace.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an evocative post. By starting with Elena, you ground us firmly in the present, then back we go with you to Egypt (yes, I looked it up) and you throw in a hint of history on the walls and then a hint of your own history. This post makes me want to fly down to Miami and go out for coffee with you so I can hear the whole story. Wow.
LikeLiked by 1 person