50 moments in autism - I just need the sea

I am drawn to the sea. 

I have lived for large chunks of my life by the sea, in Swansea and in Brighton. Mrs Oblong and myself visit Brighton and Sheringham a couple of times every year and we spend out longer holidays somewhere coastal where we can walk. I need to go to the seafront, sit on the shore and listen to the sea breathing in and out.  

Many autistic individuals are strongly drawn to running water due to its unique sensory properties, which provide calming, predictable, and engaging input. It often serves as a form of "stimming" (self-stimulation), offering soothing auditory, visual, and tactile experiences.  

Of course, everyone loves the seaside, but for autists it can meet a real physical need. Last weekend we had a trip to Sheringham and we rushed to beach. I removed my shoes and socks to feel the sand beneath my feet and the cooling  touch of the waves washing over me.  It’s hard to describe the relief and release I felt. It is rooting, stress-therapy, a hydraulic hug.