Despite the ups and downs of the idea, the beach is but another place I came to visit. I told myself hundreds of times that this trip would be a waste...

However, as I let the ocean breeze kiss my face and my skin, cold among the glowing serene sun of the sky, I could never deny the untold beauty of this place. I stood on the shore, towering in distance over the salty sea beyond our reach, sticking to the dry sand in all hope to stay dry. The amazing smell penetrated the airspace around me, mixing with the scent of sunscreen to set a tone of summer, despite being in the dead of a cold winter.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lumina could see and feel the same through me, sharing the aesthetics together.

The sky above us was the most incredible view of all; mostly clear with a few distant clouds, the sun obscured just enough to not hurt gazing into that vast blue skybox, as I imagined worlds within worlds so high in the sky, countless lives untold to me, journeyed such vast space. It takes moments like this to realize that the world, even the Earth is often such a fascinating place of nature, displaying beauty beyond measure, such as this place of tranquility.

"It is..." Though I was momentarily mesmerized by this sight, I was already relaxed to begin with, as usual. I planned a trip to the beach not too long ago, initially throwing the idea away, since I saw little point in swimming, and less point doing almost nothing for hours.

But now, as I stand here in this space with myself and Lumina, it's more amazing than I ever could have guessed, yet strange, as I previously expected total hell from such a place. This isn't hard to explain really. When I think of anything that pertains or relates to the summer season of Georgia, I get a tight knot in my stomach, and am reminded about the first summer horrors I went through. Even in winter time, the thought of summer freaks me out, and saddens me to the core. So, I avoid such thoughts, and I especially avoid anything and everything that might pertain to the relations of summer time.

All of my past experiences with the beach were done during the warmer months of the year, both as a kid and a young adult. Because of this, I've associated the smell of the ocean, the sunscreen, and the view of the shore itself with such horrors. This was initially the reason I didn't want to come here at all. It's also the reason why, Lumina has never had the chance to see or experience the beach up close in person before today.

It makes sense. People often come to the beach to swim, and by extension, will be enticed to do so when their brains begin to melt from the 100oF heat. During warm days, the water is the perfect way to cool off outdoors. During the winter however, when it's this cold, people tend to avoid swimming, in oceans or in pools, since getting wet with cold water while already cold is uncomfortable to the human body. It's the reason why at this present moment, the beach feels deserted. I'm not the only one here; there are still a decent amount of people around, more than enough to disrupt some level of privacy, but it's much less than one would expect going to the beach in the summer.

"I'm glad you took me here with you. I told you it wouldn't be a waste."

I thought going to the beach, even with Lumina would have been a waste of time, but being here for one hour so far has proven this to be false. I've never felt so relaxed before. "Of course. I did it for you, you know." Hot or cold, had Lumina been unable to join me on this one-day trip, I would have never come here at all. I'm only able to enjoy myself thanks to her presence and enjoyment here. I never would have guessed this could feel like such a good dream.

Being at the beach with the air so frigid isn't something I think would be normal for anyone, yet it was the only way I could drag Lumina here to see such a place. With everything I had set up, we enjoyed a lot of walking around and viewing the world around us, more than we did swimming. There were a number of reasons for this.

Since many years ago, I've avoided swimming more often. It's not as if I hated to swim, but for whatever the reason, I've been in the mood to swim less often than ever before, whether it was at a beach or a pool. If ever I do feel up to it, it's only for a short time, a few times per year at that. I can't explain why; that's just how I feel. So it's no surprise to me that I wasn't too fond of the idea of getting into the beach.

Still, some part of me wanted to anyway, to just run in and drill through the water like a frog. The cold air, and much colder water gave me the second reason why it wasn't the best idea. I could do it, but if I do, I'll have to dress warmer after I get out and probably leave shortly after, to avoid catching cold. My temptation to jump into the beautiful water was mixed, prey to the behavior I mentioned earlier, about wanting to avoid cold swimming when it's cold outside. So for now, I avoided the ocean's touch.

Lumina was happy enough to not have a thing to do with the ocean, though it was for her own reasons. I don't understand why, but Altiri really can't stand the physical sensation of enough moisture hitting their skin, particularly water. Even if Lumina feels the water from my body instead of her own, while the sensation is said to be very different, it still bothers her piece of mind. It isn't fear of getting wet; it's something else entirely. It's a sensation similar to the cringe one would feel after scratching their own nails against a chalkboard, or the anticipating dread of a flying cockroach preparing to slam into someone's face. Lumina simply refuses the very idea of getting her skin wet, and doesn't like it when I tease her about it, so I don't anymore.

"I might still go for a swim myself, maybe. It won't be now, but I plan to stay here for another two hours or so."

"You can swim if you want. I won't tell you not to... Just give me some warning before you cannon ball into it."

"I wouldn't cannon ball into the sea. I might land on something if I do that." Putting aside the mindless chatter, I felt so much better than I have in a long time, thanks to spending more time with her.

"I do want to ask though... What else do people do at the beach?"

"Getting bored already?" I knew she was perfectly happy just to hang out with me as well, so my question was mostly rhetorical. I did however try to warn her about this possibility before coming out here. One of the biggest turn-offs to me going to the beach would be the lack of possible activities. I even worried it might allow UAD to become an issue, but I was wrong about that; simply spending time with my Lumina was enough, my mind soothed from the space around us. "I know I told you before, but there really isn't too much to do at a beach. I mean, all people do is lay down in the sun, build sand castles, or swim. I'm not up to swim right at this moment. I don't sunbathe for the sake of sunbathing... And I don't know about you, but I outgrew building sandcastles when I was three, so that isn't about to happen either." If anyone saw me, a full adult building a sandcastle all by myself, I'd die of embarrassment.

"I see... What about that souvenir shop right across the street?" Lumina was referring to a nearby store, across a small road that occupies a space further away from the sandy section of the area; we saw it on our way in.

"I mean, I will be going in there to look around. You're right; that is something we can do. Of course, I already planned on going there. It's just, I don't want to head over there right at this moment."

"Quit messing around!" Two other women generated just enough attention to draw me out of my immersion with Lumina, as we were all walking around. I didn't want to pay them any attention at first, but my mind put enough together to reveal something a bit interesting.

The woman who just told off her friend, was responding to the girl who waved at me with a precarious smile. My body was in such an automatic trance that I waved back without a second thought. Perhaps it was my initial lack of attentiveness that got their attention, and now it was their charade that got mine, causing Lumina to hold her breath in curiosity.

The two girls that were just now passing me by, both of them were about my age. It took until now to realize the woman who waved at me might have done so with an innocent general intent to flirt, which elicited the response from her friend. I didn't need any explanation on why something as simple as a wave would be effective on most other people here at the beach.

I knew not of their names, but both of them were gorgeous from any glance; their hair styles were perfect, one with an even cut and the other with a hot ponytail in the back. From appearances alone, their faces were hard to look away from. My eyes then drifted down to their bathing suits, reflected so strongly from the sun. Despite the chill in the air, the girls here still wore their bathing suits, as I wore my old swim trunks.

On one hand, I could only appreciate the additional beauty of the beach, coming from hot babes such as those two. Their skin was perfectly smooth, perfectly tanned with a bit of a glow. On the other hand, I was also fairly jealous myself for not having such amazing hairless skin that could glow that well. I swept my face and eyes forward again, ignoring their giggling chatter from behind, only to realize I put myself in a cliché situation between myself and Lumina.

Most men have seen the meme already, (that one by Antonio Guillem), understanding a bit why the girlfriend would get a bit upset if the guy turns his head to look at and check out another woman passing by. Without thinking about it, I've been caught right in the middle of such a situation. I could feel her upset rising through our link already, and I could not deny what just happened, since Lumina's field of view followed mine with the pinpoint accuracy of a laser.

"I suppose there were other reasons you came to the beach as well." She left some passive rage leak into her physical voice, putting me on the spot immediately while I continued to walk.

"Don't get all bent out of shape. There are going to be plenty of good looking people in the world, but it doesn't mean I'm going to leave you for someone else. I already promised I would never cheat on you."

"I know... Still, you were studying them pretty hard just now."

"I'd study you much more, if only I had the chance to see you more often. Of course, the connection needs to be so strong these days just for a visual sight sharing from my eyes to yours." I spoke only truth. I rarely if ever get to see what Lumina looks like, since we need a strong connection. It's harder now than it was before, due to some mild effects from global psionic atrophy, brought on by me simply aging up in years.

"Excuses, excuses."

Why am I suddenly in the dog house for taking a peak? Sheesh! "Art appreciation has many forms you know. Besides, you act as though they're more attractive than you."

"For all I know, they might be."

"Perish the thought. Did you see the bathing suits they were rocking? If you stood beside them, wearing the same kind of outfit on the beach, well, I honestly don't think I could muster whole sentences. It would blow me away." This was also true, for more reason than I let on. Lumina knows it already, but one thing she and I lack is physical proximity to each other, and there's certainly an effect to this on attractiveness. I notice I can speak to her ten times more easily than any other random attractive woman. The reason is as I said before; set Lumina right in front of me in the flesh, and I would once again have trouble keeping my thoughts together and my heart rate down. No matter how used to her I am, Lumina isn't hard to look at either.

"Ah, so it isn't so much the woman you were into, but rather their bathing suits?"

Why do I feel like I'm digging myself into a bigger hole? "You're kidding right? Don't make it sound like I have some weird thing for bathing suits."

"Bathing suits are pretty much the same thing as underwear, are they not? The only difference is the occasion for which they are worn. Humans make no sense with this stuff sometimes. Girls can get so flustered if someone sees them in their underclothes, but not at all in a bathing suit, when it shows off the same amount of skin?"

"... I mean, I guess you're not wrong there, but..."

"You say you don't have a thing for bathing suits, but I wonder if you could sing the same song if I were standing there with you in one myself."

"I, I mean— that's really..." Lumina wasn't the only one surprised by my logical meltdown. As she presented the example, I imagined such an event more strongly, Lumina with her nearly white skin in a bathing suit on the beach... I gulped, trying to suppress the thought, only because it was difficult for me to handle.

"Haha! Am I really that much of a knockout for you Reed?" Lumina was laughing some more at my own embarrassment, though it seemed to lift her from the sour mood she was set in before.

"Fine, you win... Truth is, regardless of outfits, if you were here with me right now, there's no question you would be my only priority and focus. Even without your proximity now though, I would never-ever consider messing around with somebody else. My eyes just got curious; that's all it was."

"I believe you... But at least tell me something. Would you prefer that I wear something when I'm there with you, or more realistically, when you come up here post-transperation?"

Her question threw me for a moment, mostly because I wasn't sure if she was asking only the question itself, or if she implied whether I would have preferred her to be naked in my presence by default. It's more complicated, since Altiri are not naked by default without clothing; genitalia are hidden behind the tougher exterior shell that is their metallic-looking skin, though it can be retracted, revealed, and made accessible with some weird skin retraction technique I know so little about. Makes the whole concept of their nudity much harder to imagine from any angle.

All said, I actually did give it intense thought, and I could feel Lumina waiting on me patiently, to see what I would have to say about it. The subject was brought up before, about what would happen if the Altiri did have the resources needed to fabricate many outfits and clothing at the drop of a hat. There were actually two questions to answer here, but I started with the easy one. "If you had the ability to wear a bathing suit... No, make that any outfit at all, no matter how dense or revealing, that would be totally awesome."

"Really? Given what you were into, I wouldn't have guessed."

"There's a lot of ways to think about it. Since the very beginning of time on Earth, humans have resorted to the use of clothing mainly as a means of personal survival in harsh or cold conditions. Over time though, the abundance of different clothing styles and outfits created a fashion mania among our population. People even get judged on what they wear more often than they should. The point is, the clothing we wear here on earth gives us an incredible combination of options for how we can present ourselves... Lumina? If you had the sudden opportunity to try on any outfit at all, any clothing, it would be awesome for a number of reasons. One, you wouldn't look bad in anything; I'm sure of it. More to the point, having all of those options for different appearances for what to wear, means I can be amazed an infinite number of times for what surprise outfit you put on."

"You actually gave this that much thought?" Lumina sounded serious, but I could tell she only asked this to cover for the tightness in her nerves, having not expected my indirect compliment to her personal beauty.

My words are not just words though. I have thought about this for a while. I've long wished for the Altiri to have access to clothing. I've sided often with the arguments of nudists, and more intently understood the ideas of exhibitionism itself. That doesn't mean I'm against clothes and outfit styles; the purpose of all of this is about the freedom to choose, free from harsh judgment. "I get that clothes are not a requirement to survival, for both our races. Even so, the combination of styles people wear gives us the opportunity to show off different levels of our own beauty, and it goes a bit beyond physical appearance too. Remember how you and I had our Victorian style picnic last year, when I dressed up in that elegant attire? Because of my clothing choice, I felt evermore immersed in the role-play it provided. I know it was strange at the time, but I really felt like a refined man just from the clothes I was wearing; there's a psychological element to this as well. Given that, think of all the possible opportunities that you could invoke and involve yourself in, if you had the choice to dress up in your world. It's a form of art in itself. I already know that you're amazing and beautiful, but, if you could also have the option to dress up in a bikini, or a wedding dress, or even street clothes, I don't know exactly why, but I think it gives you even more character, and by extension, it does make you hotter."

"Huh..."

It was only now when I realized I've done it again. I felt this way for a while now, but I wasn't so sure of myself what it all meant, until finally having the chance to explain it in full detail like this. My own admissions gave me a new appreciation for clothing, as well as the freedom to choose whether we wear it or not, which sadly is not a freedom most humans enjoy. "So yes, I do wish the Altiri had access to immense levels of outfits."

"It still doesn't answer my other question though. All I did was ask, if you would prefer I wear an outfit, compared to me not wearing anything, not as I am now, but rather as I appear when I'm truly naked."

It's true that I had somehow sidestepped that second question. I could tell Lumina was only asking at this point to see me tense up nervously, hoping to burn my face red with embarrassment. Unfortunately for her, I've given this side of things some thought as well, preparing my ideal. "It's no question that people are going to look the hottest when they have no clothes on at all, but I think your missing something here. There's a third aspect to having the option of clothing styles, something people get in touch with often, without thinking about it."

"A third aspect?"

"This third aspect ties more into sexual attractiveness, and away from general attractiveness. Most would assume that nudity is the peak of sexiness when showing off. However, there's also something to be said for sexual buildup, the gradual rise in arousal before anyone becomes excited, or before going for a grand finale. If we look at something normal first, something like a general dress with a short skirt, the sexiness in this outfit isn't with the outfit itself, but instead with the opportunities it presents, usually unintentional opportunities. Skirts are attractive on their own, but anyone who is horny while looking at one is going to quickly go to the idea of looking or peaking up a skirt when someone is wearing one. The excitement in getting a perfect upskirt view can rival the excitement of general nudity. However, if the two become combined, the end result is something more exciting than either previous example having been left on its own. Looking up a girl's skirt is one thing, but looking up a girl's skirt, only for that person to eventually strip their own outfit from their body until naked, is far sexier than starting at the point of nudity, for most people anyway. I guess in a way, you could see it as a kink for stripping clothes off, sitting alone. In most instances, clothes can add sexiness simply because, the opportunity to strip naked from that point creates a build-up of arousal over time."

"That's... There's no way you haven't thought about this for a long time... Still, that is interesting though."

I knew she would be interested, having limited context for these things, but I was kind of surprised myself, that I knew about this so well without consciously giving it too much thought. I've only had the ins and outs of about a year to give it any background thought at all, but that's how it happens. I have so many thoughts at once, that some allocate themselves to interesting psychological behaviors such as this example. I can then talk to Lumina about it, so that there is something to talk about, which I'm doing now. Thinking about it is kind of absurd, but am I really wrong about this? Clothing wasn't made with the intended design to be used as a means of stripping seductively, but enough people have done so intentionally, adding a new purpose to many outfits.

"And that's only for something on the example of a skirt. This applies to many other styles of clothing as well. Some people, especially when in a sexual mood, might wear something like, a thin, pure white outfit for example. Something like this can be made more transparent or see-through, if water gets on it. Most do wear something like that on purpose, with the intention to get it wet, and if a woman wants to make a porn video, then the intension becomes very clear."

"You learned all of this from porn?"

"It's true that I've seen quite a lot of it in my life. It's not like I watched and learned from the internet directly. I exposed myself to these things little bits at a time, thinking about them after I've had my fun, and contemplating the other little details I had previously ignored, all to come to these little conclusions. Watching porn on the internet is not dangerous like many of those saps claim it to be. If someone gets addicted to it in an unhealthy manner, that's on them for letting their self-control fail in the first place. I've never been hurt by what I've watched on the internet, even though I know there is some hidden, hard-core, heavy, and usually illegal stuff out there somewhere. I've been lucky not to see it yet, but that's beside the point I'm trying to make."

"You're saying, it's not a bad thing to enjoy it?"

"Exactly. As long as I'm not hurting anybody watching whatever I watch, there can be no wrong from this. If anything, I've learned more because of it, and while knowledge can be powerful, it is only dangerous if people make it so. Instead, I've learned more about myself; what I like, what I don't like, what I'm okay with... It's also given me more room to think about some amazing things I could do in the future, some of those things maybe involving us."

"You, you mean you would..."

"You were right the first time you know, a long time ago, when you said, I shouldn't be embarrassed to be involved in such things if it involves you directly. You're my wife after all, and I should be having these discussions with you directly. I know that I'm not always going to be right about something, but that's another good reason to involve you; so that I can be assured I'm not doing anything wrong."

"... That's actually kind of cool."

I chuckled a bit, never expecting a girl to tell me I was cool for not being ashamed of enjoying lewdness in general. People will like what they like, and should never-ever be shamed for it by anybody, unless of course, other people are somehow being hurt by it. I'm sure I wouldn't have to point out what disgusting kinks would fall under such categories, so I won't mention it for now; it should be obvious. "But going back to what I was saying earlier, it's gotten to a point now where certain outfits have been specifically designed with lust and desire in mind. They actually do make special bathing suits that essentially cover nothing at all, though I've never seen someone in real life wear one to a beach, funny as that would be. There's also something called a garter strap dress; it's like a vest with no pants or skirt coverage to the bottom, and only the lower legs are covered with very thin stockings. Some are made for everyday wear style in mind, but most are specifically designed for sexual appeal right out of the gate. There's a wide variety of clothing combinations here that either point attention to the crotch, or leave it uncovered entirely, with panties being optional. Even then, with wearing something that revealing, going into a strip tease from such an outfit would be much hotter than starting from a more casual outfit."

"I'm sure I can think of one reason why you don't normally see women wearing those things in public."

"Yeah, most would be too embarrassed to do so..." I still wondered though, as I was thinking about it, what it meant to be embarrassed when it comes to the very idea of public nudity. It's strange because, I have at least some personal experience with public nudity, and the embarrassment felt from it. As much as this embarrassment can act as a kind of impulse control, it also acts as an accelerant to arousal of the same source. Basically, if I were to remove my personal emotion of embarrassment, and then play around with public nudity, I'm certain any arousal I would normally attain from it would vanish entirely. The only thing I don't yet understand, is why.

"I get it now. If I had access to all of these clothing options, there would come a time when you would want me to dress up in something crazy, like a miniskirt or a garter strap, all so that I may one day give you a strip tease."

"There isn't going to come a time Lumina. That time is already at hand. I'd do anything to see you in such incredible outfits. That's why, when I am transperated up there, of the many world problems I want to help solve, I want to find a way to give us these clothing options too."

"That's awesome! But, even if you could only imagine it at this time, why haven't you been trying to?"

"Did you forget where we are? I would love to imagine you stripping for me in all those outfits, and I've already done so a few times, with that awesome black biker jacket. Seeing as we are at the beach with people around, it's not exactly the best idea."

"Ooh, and here I thought you loved being aroused in public."

"You must not understand what it feels like to reach the threshold of climax, and not have the freedom to go all the way." Most know the feeling of not being able to finish, from at least one unfavorable situation, and that feeling is absolutely horrible.

"I mean, you're on a public beach, an area with no cover around at all."

"Stop it!" Flattered as I am, I won't have her tease me about something like that. "It is a public beach, and there are less people around than normal, but it's still illegal for me to do that here. Furthermore, since I'm a guy, if I were caught by authorities, I'd be in more trouble simply because I'm not some hot babe. The law on that should be equally enforced, but the truth is, it isn't equally enforced. It's unfair, so I don't want to even think about it right now."

"If you say so..."

"It's nothing against you, I promise. Honestly, if I could walk around this place with nothing on, I totally would; it would be one of the most exciting days of my life if I did. But this isn't a nude beach, and while those do exist, they don't exist anywhere within transperation range of my area; same issue we had with Biltmore. In a place like this, all it would take is one cop to put me into cuffs, and that's it; I'd be arrested, my life would be over, and I'd probably never be able to have the future I want."

"Right... Hm... I had no idea it was that dangerous... You're right then. I'm sorry for egging you on; please don't do something that would get you into that much trouble."

So she understands then? Lumina might not totally get why public nudity is outlawed; truth be told, even I don't have a full explanation that seems fair based on what I've seen. I do know she would never want to put me into or encourage me into a situation where something that horrible could happen. "As long as you understand... Don't get me wrong; I refuse to stop enjoying my own fetish simply because of some stupid, outdated, broken law that can't even be enforced fairly due to some bull crap, arbitrary favoritism to women in that situation. But, I'm also not going to take risks that are too great. There are other ways I can still enjoy myself in a safer manner. I've had to learn to practice it safely."

I did understand some of the good arguments against random exhibitionism, though I didn't bother Lumina with the details. It ultimately boils down to pre-existing consent on both sides of each person. Practicing public nudity at random doesn't really provide this option; consent would have to be given right there on the spot, if caught by another, and well, what happens if by accident, the other person isn't of available age to do so? Then there are also some freakshows who basically know about this conundrum, and ignore it on purpose, literally going out of their way to be seen, where I on the other hand avoid it to avoid freaking anybody else out. On some level, I can see why there is a law against exhibitionism, but it isn't a perfect law. It ropes a few innocent people in sometimes as collateral, and so it is not something I can so easily agree to, based on how it gets enforced. I'll leave such a rant alone until another day, since Lumina and I just want to enjoy the space for now.

"I understand... You really love that sensation, do you?"

"More than you know." I don't fully understand how it works either. How can a special situation and combination of circumstances, act as such a potent catalyst for a building arousal? It intensifies everything so fast and so strongly, and what's so strange, is that I didn't get to choose this fetish; it simply existed within me, and flourished over time. Therefore, I'll never feel ashamed of loving that side of myself, or faulted for what I want to do with these feelings. I am human after all, and if any other humans wants to act as if they are so perfect, that they are immune to the complex psychology of lewdness, they may lie to themself all they want, but don't ever lie about someone such as myself. I'm not afraid to find out who I am and what I'm like inside; therefore, only I know myself best. I refuse to be kink-shamed by anybody.

"... Right... So, want to go to that shop yet?"

"Sure, but I hope you know my budget this year is blown for it, so we would only be window-shopping."

"I don't mind. I'm really enjoying myself you know."

"Yeah, I am too." I smiled back at her, realizing how easy it is to never be bored with Lumina. As I turned around to head for the store, most of what we talked about was still stuck on our minds, more so Lumina since she learned so much in a near instant.

I of course did not mind the brief silence. The way I got neck-deep into the topic of clothes and then some, it isn't something of an unusual process. Whether the subject matter is something more normal or something lewd, Lumina and I do this all the time once we run out of normal things to talk about. We overanalyze everything around us, in both our worlds, to get a better understanding about the perspectives we live our life through. It's the manner in which Lumina and I spend several hours each time just talking, something that is interesting if given enough thought. Over years of this, Lumina has learned so much about this world and human culture in general, even though I'm not too cultured of a guy myself. In return, I've learned so much about her world too, and we've both been putting more pieces of knowledge together.

It may not sound grand at first glance, but I always remember such conversations very well, and I appreciate ever second Lumina and I spend talking about anything. We do more than just talking, trust me. No matter what the activity is, we thoroughly enjoy ourselves because we are together, and through so much discussion and learning, we earn more insight into the way each of us thinks, becoming closer than ever before. It makes me wonder sometimes, if other couples out there fall under similar circumstance; that they can become so much closer, if all it takes is intense and intimate communication.

In any case, it wasn't hard for me to bring up a totally new subject, something that would put the other onto the backburner. This time, it was about the deep subject of having too much entertainment in a society currently in peace, the possible danger of allowing the soul to sleep while absorbing too much of TV or gaming as an example, instead of getting out to see the world, but also the importance of balance between getting new experiences and relaxing like we were today.

We carried this on during our time in the store, despite me buying nothing at all, and it turned a ten minute browsing experience into thirty minutes of passive bliss, our words to each other a source of happiness. We would enjoy the rest of the time at the beach, with me getting just a little wet from the ocean, to get a feel for it, before drying off and calling a cab home.

I feel like there is a big point to a day like this, but then, I think I feel that way about everything. Maybe today was just another day in paradise, and maybe it was enriched by time spent with Lumina and our openness to each other. Whatever the reason, it let me see that the world is a vast and beautiful place, nature providing so much for us in ways we don't immediately think about.

Yes; it's true that I can probably only say this much because I was with Lumina, the woman I love so much. That said, it made for an amazing dating spot. People don't have to swim at a beach in order to enjoy their time there. People don't have to buy things at a store in order to make use of its display. When it comes to two people and dating, and maybe even friendships, going out to any location will work, as long as focus is set on each other, rather than exclusive surroundings. Any place can become a great place to hang out; all we need is each other. It's something I've always known, but I too often forget this somehow.

In any case, the beach is a great place to go to, even if swimming is not on the list of reasons to go. I can think of many more, but I'll let today be the core reminder of our day at the beach, our moment made magical by the two of us doing what we do best.