Do You Believe in Magic?

Aloha everyone and welcome to this week’s Magical Mystery Blog. This week’s entry is a bit magical and focuses on one of my favorite beach towns of the Garden State. Today’s entry is about a magical perspective of Ocean City, New Jersey.

rivertonhistory.com

When I was a child, I discovered summer magic at Ocean City, NJ. 

Ocean City is a beach town full of summer winds and sea salt kisses. Located in Cape May County, it’s a seaside town that sparks summer magic when the night awakens and turns on the boardwalk’s lights. Since I was a child, my dad would load up the Buick and take us on a day trip to this beach town. I often shared the back seat with an umbrella, a beach bag, and a few foldable chairs. My excitement overwhelmed the space stealing silent passengers. We’d often visit during the most popular times of the year: Spring Break and the summer. These two specific times were the most crowded but I heavily enjoyed them.

Tourists usually flock to this beach town for the uniqueness of the Jersey Shore. I admit there’s some magic in the rides’ lights at dusk and the ferris wheel peaking over the bridge as though welcoming you to Ocean City. It’s what widens the eyes and smiles of children and adults who visit this place and breathe in the salty air. Some people can’t sense the wonder of this boardwalk for reasons I’ll never understand. Yet at the age of twenty two, I still see the mysticism, and have discovered a new type of magic.

Last July was the first time I had shown someone my nostalgic Ocean City and what I received in return was something far from what I expected.  In the summer winds down by the sea, I introduced my boyfriend to my nostalgic grounds. The sun did not burn the boardwalk which made it the perfect day for exploration. Even the humidity wasn't irritating or sweat inducing, like an unneeded layer of clothing.

With every step, he took in the sights as the shops burst before him like kernels of caramel popcorn. Each shop advertised some specialty like the best smoothie or henna art which drew curious eyes to their storefronts. However, the refreshing idea of Dippin Dots attracted our sun kissed bodies. The cooling sensation of frozen ice cream turned our gums to ice and numbed our brains. It was perfect for a day like this.

After spending a few hours at Jilly’s Arcade and Three Brothers’ Pizza, we strolled down the boardwalk. The smells of Johnson’s caramel popcorn and funnel cake give our senses a brief vacation. Breathing in the nostalgia, I had hoped he would enjoy this place as much as I did. From how it appeared he seemed to like it, but I could have been fooled by his smile.

When the twilight emerged, the lights of the boardwalk slowly came on. One by one they illuminated the wooden planks and revealed a new side to Ocean City. The warm wind was replaced by a cool breeze that came and left every so often like a passerby in the shadows. Even the sea grew darker with the setting sun. The carnival music seemed to grow louder as the groups of tourists, locals, and visitors combined and grew rapidly.

By nightfall Ocean City had transformed into a new world that often captivated me as a child. The dazzling lights made the store fronts shimmer like diamond constructed houses. In the distance, Gillian’s and Playland’s ferris wheels popped with color and pierced the sky with their luminescence.  The tinkling organ music of carousels seemed to harmonize and spark the inner child. Sounds of joyful screams and cheers rose from the glowing amusement parks.

The moon danced above the ocean as my boyfriend and I walked side by side on the sand. The waves seemed to slow time and overwhelm the scent of chocolate covered bacon. Sea foam caressed my bare toes as the sand massaged my soles, gradually pulling them into the world below. While this calmed me some, I couldn't help but to wonder what was on my boyfriend’s mind.

“So, what do you think,” I asked, anxiety jiggling my vocal chords.

 “I like it,” content filled his voice which eased my nervousness, as well as a moonlight kiss.

“I've never been here before and I definitely like it.”

That was all I needed. I could be at ease now, knowing that someone I had grown close to enjoyed my nostalgic seaside town.

“I missed the magic of summer and there’s just somethin bout this place. The lights go on, everything’s all color and light, there’s just something magical about it.”

That made my night even better and even shocked me a bit. I did not expect him to see the magic I could and understand the beauty of this beach town. No sooner those words left his mouth, my heart turned into a thousand super novas. Each one exploding with elation and enjoyment, knowing that he could understand why I loved this place so much. It was my second home, my home away from home, my home by the sea.  

Then it appeared before me like the moon. There was another magic in the air that had been given life by his words. It was the magic of love. It was the ignition that made my heart burn for him more than what it already had. How he could understand the magic of summer and the mysticism of Ocean City meant everything to me and made me love him more than what I already did.

Leaving that night with wind tousled hair and a bag of Shriver’s treats, I held my boyfriend's hand as he drove.  With the dancing lights of ferris wheels behind us, we knew we would return to Ocean City. There was summer magic to be experienced on that boardwalk with every smile, every heartbeat, and every kiss.