What I Like Best About Ocean Pines
by Patrica Mulcahy
Third Place Winner - $50 gift certificate to DeNovos, Marina Deck, or Yacht Club.

Moving to Ocean Pines was a reaction to the death of dreams that happened to so many on September 11, 2001.  We had long talked about “someday” moving out of Baltimore City, where we had both lived our entire lives.  When I returned home on 9/11 I announced that “someday” had to happen now, before our dreams died too.

We had vacationed in Ocean City many times, and both of us enjoyed the beach and the ocean.  We had also vacationed in the mountains and loved the wildlife and trees in that area as well.  Ocean Pines seemed like the perfect union of both of these times of pleasure that we had experienced in our vacation choices.

By March of 2002 I had quit my job and we relocated to a rental property in Ocean Pines, to see if we could adjust to the slower pace of life after a lifetime of living in a big city.  It didn’t take long to recognize that this was exactly what we had been looking for and with a year we purchased our home. 

I think my favorite thing about living in Ocean Pines is the many experiences available to me.  On a whim I can pack up a blanket, a chair and a book and head to the beach.  Living in Baltimore, a trip to the beach for the day involved a 3 hour commute, a short time enjoying the sun and the surf, followed by another 3 hour return to home.   If I am in need of communing with the wildlife, I can merely walk down to the lake and feed the geese, who have a great deal to say about how to enjoy life, or walk one of the many trails in and around Ocean Pines. 

Morning coffee now is enjoyed on the screened back porch of our home and the background noise is birdsong and children’s laughter, instead of traffic and hectic scurrying of people.  I can now ride my bike without worrying about the traffic, curbs, grates, and other obstacles of riding in a city setting.  There are little hidden corners of Ocean Pines where I can go to be alone with my thoughts and sit in the sun and enjoy the quiet ripple of the water’s edge against the shore.   Dinner at The Yacht Club is always a treat, and affordable on a lower than before income. 

I didn’t give up access to the convenient stores, post office and libraries of my previous life by moving to Ocean Pines.  All of these are close by.  I didn’t give up visits from my children who have discovered free room and board near the beach is a great reason to visit.  I didn’t give up excellent health care, because I have found replacements equal to or better than those I had in the city. The only thing I gave up by moving to Ocean Pines was the fear that my dreams would never be realized.