When I was a freshman in college, I had a life changing event occur during one of my English classes.  My teacher decided to show us the movie Office Space and it was then that I decided that I never wanted to work in a corporate environment.  I do understand that the corporate ideas displayed in that movie were somewhat exaggerated, but I knew that there was some truth to what was being said.  My dad had told me many stories that mirrored situations that I saw in that movie and I had many friends who went off to work in those environments that had similar stories to tell as well.  I didn't want to wear a suit and tie to work everyday, or work in a cubicle, or have to worry about handing in TPS reports to 3 different bosses.  So I decided that I was going to take a chance and move the Outer Banks.  My family has had a home in Duck for about 13 years and we would always come down during the summer for vacation.  I thought it would be great to live at the beach and be able to go surfing or fishing whenever I wanted.  I was able to get a job at Village Realty within a month of moving and thought that things were working out according to my plan.  I had a place to live, a job and I was within walking distance to the beach. 

Well, about a month after I moved down, Hurricane Isabel struck the Outer Banks.  The harsh reality of living along the coast hit me right in the face and I began to wonder if this was a sign of things to come.  I had to evacuate and upon my return, I had to deal with unhappy tourists who were anxious to continue their vacation after the storm. It was at that point, that I realized that their is a huge difference between vacationing here and living/working here.  My idea of relaxing on the beach each day and being able to ride waves whenever I wanted was becoming less and less of a reality.  The Outer Banks is a tourist destination that thrives on the money visitors spend on food, souveniers, attractions, etc.  It goes without saying that local businesses increase their pricing somewhat because they know people will spend more money when they are having a good time.  This unfortunately does not help those of us who live here.  The Outer Banks is a very expensive area to live..there is very little affordable housing available and the majority of people rent rather than own. 

Aside from the cost of living, I found it was very difficult to get through the off seasons.  There is a vastly different atmosphere down here in the winter months and it is almost depressing.  Many stores and restaurants close and the number of people down here drops dramatically.  I found it very hard to meet people my age and find things to do.  So needless to say, I was ready for the warmer months to come again.  Well, I soon realized that the months I used to long for while in school would become the months I would dread.  All of the aspects that used to be part of my great vacation were now part of the reason I was regretting my decision to move here.  Not to mention the traffic that made me late for work, the long lines at restaurants and all of the noise on the beach.   How could I not have been bothered by all these things before when I was here on vacation?  The place that I spent so many memorable summers was now the place that I couldn't wait to get out of.  

I spent my 2nd winter trying to figure out what I should do next.  Should I move to a big city and get one of those corporate jobs that I tried to hide from?  Should I go back to school and take more time to figure out what I want to do with my life?  I had no idea...I decided to go for a walk on the beach to try and think of some options for myself.  As I began walking, I found myself more in tune with my surroundings than I had been since I moved down here.  I was walking on the beach alone.....I began to hear and see things that I never noticed before.  The sound of the sea oats blowing in the wind, the sound the waves made as they crashed on the shore and retreated back to the ocean, the laughing gulls arguing over food, and the sound of my feet as they hit the sand with every step.  This was the Outer Banks in its truest form and I stopped to think....how many people have the chance to do what I am doing right now?  Of all the people that are unhappy with their work, home life, place of residence, etc...how many of them can go for a walk on the beach to clear their head?  Not many....I felt lucky and I figured out that my outlook on life at the beach needed to change.   I work hard...a full time job and at times 2 or 3 side jobs is my weekly routine.  It isn't easy....I still have to deal with life challenges just like everyone else.  However, after 5 years of living here, I know I made the right choice and I wouldn't trade places with anyone.  The Outer Banks is a great place to vacation...but also a great place to live.  If you are planning to move down here...just remember....the vacation will always end, but life on the Outer Banks goes on.