As we travel 12 hours on the road, in a car packed full of beach toys, coolers, and suitcases, my siblings, and I are beginning to become very anxious about arriving there.  As we’re driving upon the house, I look up and see three floors of a bright blue house towering into the sky. Turning our way into the driveway, the car begins to shake and bump around as we hit the many holes that make up the driveway.  As you head up the stairs to the front door, it feels like it’s taking an eternity with all the excitement you feel after finally arriving to the place you love most. For being here every couple years of my life, I have begun to learn the relaxation and happiness that a simple vacation spot can bring you.

As we begin to make headway to the beach, with everyone carrying a chair or a cooler, you begin to get a whiff of the salty ocean smell and then realize the greatness you’re about to witness once again, as you step up the stairs onto the sand dune.  Stepping up onto the sand dune is like stepping into a new world, whatever stress you had before that moment disappears and now the only stress you have is if your sand castle will stay built or if the tide will take it away. As you arrive on the top of the staircase over the dune, there are times where you can look out over the ocean and see dolphins poking out of the water or even ocean liners passing by.  After looking out in awe for a few minutes, and finish your way down onto the sand, you begin to feel the burning from the sun and the crunch of the dry sand among your feet. Running out towards the ocean is like running in slow motion, as you’re trying to push through the sand. Once your feet hit the ocean and you dive in, everything you have thought about lately vanishes and all you live to think for is what wave you’re going to take, whether it’s by bodysurfing, boogie boarding, or even surfing, if that’s something you can actually do.  That first wave you find that’s by far much better wave than the others and you try to take it in but you mess up and flip over as the massive ocean wave crashes down over your head and large gulps over salt water go rushing down your throat. After your first mistake, you begin to catch the hang of it and don’t realize it but end up doing it for hours until your parents call you in to go back to the house for lunch. Once you get back, everyone goes to the showers to wash the sand off your body and everyone then continues inside to take an actual shower then carries on to eat lunch.  After lunch, everyone gets the choice of whether to go back to the beach or to stay at the house and swim in the pool. As everyone does what they want, time goes by quicker than you could think and it’s time for dinner. With the crazy family we have, dinner is full of laughter and yelling. Typically, to end the night after dinner, the aunts and uncles of our family will take us to the beach again when it’s dark to catch crabs. Crabbing is extremely fun as you chase little critters around the beach hoping to catch them, but not get pinched by their claws. After everyone crabs for an hour or two, people begin to wear down and get ready for a movie and bed.

The beach brings great happiness to me as it’s a place for me to forget about everything and have fun with the family I get to see at most twice a year if we’re lucky enough.  However, with all the craziness that happens there, I get to relax with my grandpa on the deck every morning and evening and look out at sunrise and sunset and watch the ocean wildlife come to life.  The beach has brought me many memories with my family that I will never forget.