There are many summer days in which I can recall swimming in a sparkling blue ocean. The bright golden sun shines upon the sea, allowing it to glisten like a bright star in the middle of a dark night sky. As a child, I can remember flipping underneath the cool water and body-surfing in union with colossal and dynamic waves while experiencing the gratifying rush of feeling powerful and free. As I grew older, my jaunts with my friend, the sea, came to involve more relaxing swims and the occasional ocean adventure but I never grew out of being in love with the ocean.

Another phenomenon I began to realize as I grew older was that the ocean was far more intricate than I had originally imagined at the naive age of four or five. In fact, the repulsive seaweed and fascinating but bothersome jellyfish were only a minority of the innumerable life forms that called my aquatic playpen home. It was at this time that the complexity and awe of the ocean took its toll on me and I realized my insignificance in comparison to it.

On a recent trip to Mexico, my cousins and I took the opportunity to go snorkeling. I’ll never forget the gleaming and crystal clear aqua water or the striking underwater scenes that can only be described as beautiful and even then may be understated. While happily swimming around, I suddenly felt something brush up against me and quickly realized I had encountered a school of fish. The shiny silver fish were small but, looking at the school as a whole, I felt amazed at the magnificent natural world that encompassed me.

I will never forget how I felt at that exact moment. There I was, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery I could imagine. The sizzling sunrays pounded against my bare back while giving light to the clear waters in which I swam. I thought my mind was creating a surreal experience and that maybe I wasn’t actually in the waters of Cozumel; that I was possibly asleep at home and dreaming the magical experience that I was partaking in. Yet, the heat of the sun on my skin and the splash of cool water I felt as I kicked my feet, in a sense, awoke me and I knew I couldn’t possibly be dreaming. Stunned but gratified at the dreamlike experience of the brilliance of nature, I wondered what other natural phenomena there were that I could experience.

I truly believe that my past with the ocean has shaped me into the person I am now. As I sit on a beach chair with my feet embroiled in the blistering sand and the scorching heat from the bright sun permeating my body, just a normal summer day for me, I fully appreciate my ability to have a relationship with the ocean. There is just something about an inviting beach and the almost silent whispers of a calm ocean or even the deafening roar of a tumultuous surf that, to me, screams home. This is how I spend my days any time I get the chance. I wouldn’t have it any other way.