In 1885, French painter Claude Monet traveled to the seaside town of Étretat to paint. He returned many times, captivated by the dramatic cliffs and light. For ordinary people, the beach was becoming a place to rest and reset—a new kind of American and European leisure.
You stand on cool sand, salt air on your face. Fishing boats bob gently in the shallow water, their hulls reflecting the pale sky. The massive chalk cliffs loom behind, ancient and still, while the waves lap at the shore—a rhythm that pulls your thoughts away from everything else.
Reflect
When do you go somewhere just to pause, watch, and be present?