Three months before my 13th birthday, my family moved 700 miles north of San Diego to a small town where there were far more trees than people. Northern California brims with beauty, with its towering redwood forests, rugged mountains, and numerous national parks. As alluring as the area was, I never found my footing there. We moved in December, and the unfamiliar territory felt as unwelcoming as the frigid temperatures.The hour-long bus ride to and from school left plenty of time for me to daydream about the life I was now missing. Months passed before I saw the coastline again.
Twenty-five miles from our home, out a two-lane, windy road, the mountains meet the sea. Shelter Cove is gorgeous and home to Black Sands Beach, which is appropriately named for its appearance. The water is in the 50s year-round, mighty waves crash against rocky cliffs, and fog rolls through daily. It is unspoiled, raw, and impossibly lovely. Although the appearance is drastically different from the beaches I grew up knowing so well, the smell of salty air and the sound of crashing waves brought me back to what felt like home. The ocean was home for me, and Shelter Cove was a piece of just that when I was a teenager.
Over the years, I grew and met friends who loved the coast as I did. It became a place of friendship, laughter and country boys showing me they could surf better than anyone I knew back home. We spent many days together watching the sunset, bonfires and tailgate parties on the dark sand, the sky enveloped with stars. I moved back to Southern California once I was an adult, but Nor Cal will always be a part of me. BLACK SAND is a scent inspired by the people who embraced me those short years and the memories I still carry with me.