@vasta Thanks for the kind words! Yes, I am also prone to forget about the value of water, and really appreciated the Guardian article I linked to.
@philipbrewer Your article is a good reminder for me. I can see the Pacific ocean from my house, in the distance. But the distance is not that far. I could be on a beach in 15 minutes tops. I do not get down to it often enough, and know that I feel renewed when I do.
@crossingthethreshold To me the key is walking distance. If I can walk to the beach, then I don't need to find parking when I get there, and then all things are possible.