I'd like to go to the beach this summer, for I found out last year that there are some nice looking ones near enough my home, as in the kind that I can easily get to with public transportation. I mean I've known for years that they were there, but I only learned the route last year, so if the weather is nice enough I'd like to go for a swim a time or two this year. But I have a problem: I can't go alone because if I went to the water my bag and clothes would be left unattended. Obviously I can't do that; while the crime rate ain't that high where I'm from, doing so would be like I was asking for trouble. As far as I know these beaches don't have any lockers where I could lock my stuff in (but it's not completely impossible, so I'll definitely check again closer to summer), so the only option would be to go with someone... but who am I supposed to go with!? My family is out of the question since they wouldn't use their time just so that I can go to the beach (well, my little sister would probably agree if I paid her, but I don't want to do that) and while I do have friends, the ones living near enough aren't exactly ones I'd feel comfortable going to the beach with for several reasons... for example, aside from some old friends from elementary and junior high, none of my friends have seen me in swim wear or in anything too revealing and my body isn't exactly... pleasant to look at. One would think this'd keep me off from public beaches completely, but nope, not really. I don't mind it if strangers feel uncomfortable or disgusted when they see me, but I don't want my friends to be that way. Besides, if just two of us went then we couldn't spend time together 'cause while one was in the water the other would have to look after our stuff, so in the end the friend would get nothing out of it. She'd definitely prefer her other friends as company if she wanted to go to the beach. So yeah, probably can't go to the beach this year either and that's annoying.