It may be a bold and forward statement on my part, but I don't think any other generation adores avocado toast, the color pink, or scoring passport stamps quite like ours. Millennials have all the heart eyes for succulents, memes, and the colorful walls on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, too. Believe it or not, though, there are a couple of things some of us don't go head over heels for, like the things millennials hate about the beach. Spoiler alert: They're hilariously relatable, cringe-worthy, and will make you say, "Same."
Before I get into the things you may despise about the beach, I want to talk about your typical day with the sand and surf. It may typically go like this: One of your besties wakes up on a weekend morning and sends a text in the group chat like, "Does anyone want to hang with the waves today?" or, "I'm picking everyone up in an hour." Without fail, everybody responds and is ready to go with their coolers and bottles of sunscreen.
Once your BFF arrives at your apartment building, you throw your belongings into the trunk of the car and slip into a seat. Then, you turn on the radio, drive down to the coast, and prepare to deal with these four things that are inevitable, hilarious, and so relatable.
The first of these things you hate about the beach is when someone gets sand on your towel. It's normally a kid who's chasing after a Frisbee, or a dog that's in the middle of a game of fetch. In the moment, you want to let out a sigh and a huge, "Ugh!" But, you always hold back, because you know they didn't do it on purpose.
You delicately brush the dirt off, and reposition your cooler so nobody can run into your cozy spot for a second time. You give your bestie a look that says, "Here we go again," and then slip on your sunnies to block out the sun and potentially bad vibes.
OK, maybe you're being dramatic. They really didn't mean to get sand on your towel, and you are at the beach. You're going to go home covered in shell dust and sunscreen either way. Resting beach face, off.
Many millennials love their podcasts. They love putting in their headphones, and listening to their favorite influencers talk about traveling, social media, or the latest celebrity tea. They love delving into murder mystery stories and world news, without having to flip a single page.
What they don't love, though, is when their go-to podcasts get interrupted at the beach because of a text message or another notification. That makes them want to cringe, roll their eyes, and turn their device to "do not disturb" mode.
Am I right? Of course. You've been in this situation more than once, and happily tapped the moon icon in your control center without feeling an ounce of guilt. You didn't want to deal with any distractions or "dings" on your relaxing beach day.
Let's be honest: Like many millennials, one of the many reasons why you do adventurous things is for the pictures. You pose with sparklers on the Fourth of July and toss handfuls of sand into the air for the 'Gram.
But, sometimes, your friends aren't in the mood to take a bunch of pictures at the beach like you are — and it's pretty frustrating. I mean, how else are you supposed to document the memories you made? How else can you rack in the likes and comments if you don't pose with the waves and post a witty caption?
It beats me, and it's a struggle I can relate to very well. My advice is to embrace the self-timer feature on your camera or your phone, and purchase the preset packs that'll make your photos pop.
Being a millennial means a lot of things, including your deep love for your favorite snacks. These are the chips you get every week from Trader Joe's, or the cold-pressed juices that line the shelves of your fridge. These are the burritos, sushi rolls, and packs of ramen you couldn't live without.
But, unfortunately, when you go to the beach, you likely have to live without them for a few hours and deal with not having access to Chipotle, Starbucks, and Taco Bell. You have to settle for the ice cream machines and local food trucks that line the shore instead.
Once again, you could be so dramatic and declare this as a reason to not go to the beach. After seeing the french fries and colorful popsicles being served, though, you often change your mind and realize that it's just one of those relatable and hilarious struggles millennials have to deal with in the summer.
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