The first few steps up to the lower porch is where everything hits me. Every inch of my skin feels the moisture in the air, it is abnormal compared to the previous climate with its dry heat and little moisture that I am always used to. Yet, it still feels like it belongs. The adjustment period is only a few hours, but then it will feel like the moisture in the air has always been a part of me and belongs with me. 

As I finish the ascent to the top of the lower porch, the ocean breeze picks up bringing the cool air to me. It rushes around my body where it counters the feeling of moisture and picks up some of the longer strands of my hair. Brushing the hair back to its original place, I can feel the difference in texture. My hair does not feel the same as it usually does, instead it seems heavier and is starting to curl more. The wind calms, releasing the heavy heat rays from the sun. Without the wind it feels like the hot heat that I am used to, but with a limiting factor that makes me feel trapped. The humidity makes it feel like there is a thick aura of heat surrounding me. The aura disappears once the wind comes back and I take a few steps. Beneath my feet, I can feel the grains of sand on the lower porch through my shoes. The tiny particles are not that foreign to me, I remember the sand of childhood sandboxes and memories that come with playing in the sand. The particles of sand slide and create friction between the porch and my shoes. As my foot slides, I feel the loss of traction between me and the porch. The uncertainty of possibly slipping if I carelessly apply too much force to the grains of sand leaves a small fear within me. 

The wind brings the salty smell of the ocean. It is almost as if I could taste the salt in the air. I smell the nearby barbeque of the restaurant a few houses down. The idea of tasting seafood and barbeque with the mix of home cooked meals puts a savory taste of wanting and waiting for food. 

The wind whistling through my ears with the faint sound of waves crashing in the distance. The mix of these effects bring the feeling of relaxation and that I can enjoy the rest of my vacation here. There are sounds of a plane overhead dragging an advertisement banner and the sound of the pelican’s flapping wings forming a large “v” flying across the sky. I look around, I see the dunes that I have always heard never to walk on, the blue-green ocean with the white capped waves roll in onto the shore, and the blue sky with some white fluffy clouds next to the bright yellow sun emitting waves of heat. 

The scene I see portrays tranquility and relaxation at its finest, but also a hint of fun and chaos. There are still people on the beach, some in the waves, some in the sand, some under umbrellas, and some just walking along the coast. I can hear screams of children playing in the sand with their newly dug holes, tall towers of sand that will be knocked over by the waves within a few hours, and a few throwing a football back and forth. I see first hand a wipeout of a small child in the waves, the child was no match for the larger wave. Far out, I see some seagulls surround a reddish orange umbrella, with most likely some food that the birds will fight and squawk over. The sound of the fight can be heard from my place on the lower poarch. I see one be victorious and race off with the food in its mouth chased by a few others, some stay in hopes of more food and some run off in another direction. After standing for ten minutes I take a seat in one of the rocking chairs I have spent many hours in, during previous trips. 

As I rock back and forth, the feeling of the old paint sticking to my clothing with the wind blowing against my face. I admire the scenery of the waves, the people, and the sky. The excitement builds up inside of me. The idea of hanging out with my family on the beach and eating lots of food from the local restaurants and the local grown food for some home cooked dinners. I am at the beginning of the vacation that will bring relaxation and fun to the table at the beach I go to every year.