Lauren Tilden | Lincoln Park, Seattle, Washington

GG / What does going to the water’s edge do for you? How does it help you? 

I haven’t always lived in Seattle, but I HAVE always lived near the water, and being near the water’s edge feels like home to me. It feels grounding yet expansive and full of possibility.

There’s a quote about this that I love, and I don’t feel like I could explain it better than this:

“The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea.”
– Isak Dinesen

GG / When is your favorite season to be by the water? Winter? Spring? Summer? Fall?

I love warm summers with my feet (or whole body!) in the water, but there’s something moody and magical about being by the water in the winter.

GG /  Do you have rituals for your place? (e.g. do you always walk the beach at 8am, or always take home a seashell, etc?)

I’ve always wanted to be a person with rituals, but I tend to always revert back to doing things as I feel called to do them, rather than as part of a consistent routine. One ritual that I can remember doing as a kid whenever we’d be on a sunny beach, is that I’d walk to the top of the sand, take off my flip-flops, and then run as fast as I could in the hot sand to cool my feet in the water.

GG / What’s your best beachcombing find?

I love finding crabs under stones on a rocky beach. Apart from crabs and some cool seashells, I haven’t found anything that memorable… but I have *ALWAYS* wanted a metal detector!

Lightening Round!

Beach jewelry: Favorite summertime pieces?
I love my Grace Gow barnacle rings – year round!

Lifeguards: Love them or feel Watched?
Generally I think I’d say no thanks, but now that I’m a mom I think I’m re-evaluating!

Early morning at the beach or Afternoon into Sunset?
Early morning! Mornings are full of possibilities.

Beach chair or lay-flat towel?
Beach chair

Rivers: for floating or boating?
Floating with a tube!

Pool Party: Work on Tan or Get in Laps?
Neither, splash around in the pool ☺

Four words to describe you best water memory
Warm and blue with gentle waves

Quiet sailing boat or power boat?
Power boat! I love speeding across the water!

What are your beach bag essentials?
Headphones (for podcasts or audiobooks), a notebook and pen, a book or e-book, snacks (Marination Ma Kai is my favorite), water, sunglasses, sunscreen, a cute swim cover-up, chapstick!

Beach Bar: Rose, Pina Colada, Pilsner?
Pina Colada

Best beach walk? 
I love the Kalalu Trail on Kauai. But closer to home, Lincoln Park in West Seattle is usually pretty delightful. I especially love grabbing dinner at Il Nido, followed by a late night stroll along the water.

Sand dollars or sea glass? 
Sea glass! The colors!

Winter beach walks: makes sense or makes crazy? 
Makes sense! Love quiet bundled up mornings along the beach with a coffee. 

Tan lines or total SPF coverage?
Somewhere in between ☺.

Fav swimsuit?
One pieces for the win!