When I used to live about three hours away from the beach I would usually go at least once a month during the warmer seasons. Now, the nearest beach is about ten hours away from me. I recently went back to the ocean and I remember feeling cold yet . . . Indescribably free. The water made my body go numb but at the same time I just wanted to swim through it; memorize the feeling of it, knowing it may be years until I return.489Please respect copyright.PENANANptmSHos8R
So when I hear or read the word "ocean", I think of freedom. The sea is a vast and mysterious being, unable to be tamed. It shapes life but it can also take it. It's a chillingly beautiful word, in my opinion. Maybe it's because of the memories I associate with the word, or maybe it's from the stories I've read and listened to, but I feel that the ocean is a world away from us, one we can't even begin to imagine. That's what makes it terrifyingly precious.489Please respect copyright.PENANAFcKyP76Guz
And when I think of the ocean, I see a girl, wrapped in a shawl to protect herself from the ocean breeze, as the sun rises behind her. She looks out towards the horizon, the sea blending into the sky. Whether it's longing or fear or sadness in her eyes, I'll never know . . .