So my roommate and I started going to the beach everyday this year. We live right on the cost in San Francisco so it’s not really too difficult for us to do. The bench was built on July 31st 2016, and it looked like this:

We ended up adding things to it like a throne (pictured), a table (below) and another post for BYOH (bring your own hammock)

People seemed to really enjoy it. We made books for the bench titled “What’s important to you” and “What would you have done differently” for people kinda join in the fun. And it was pretty sturdy and well received. It ended up lasting for about 3 months until…

A storm came and did a real number on the bench. The sand rose to the benches seat and the ocean took away most of the materials.

So we rebuilt…

It’s definitely not as nice as the old one, but it’s a start…

There’s a lot still to do, but this time we know what were doing a lot more. The posts are buried about double their height above ground, keeping the center pieces “locked” in and unable to move. The bench bottom is resting on rock, (instead of wood like last time) to keep it a bit more steady as well. And we left a gap in the bottom so that the ocean can flow freely under, rather then bombarding it and slowly taking pieces away.

Here’s the plaque that Garrett (my roommate) and I made for the bench to try to share why it was built and what it means to us..

It reads:

” ‘You may wander, but go with curiosity, because wandering with curiosity is exploration.’ – Louis and Garrett

Dedicated to the three C’s of life: Compassion, Creativity, and Community”