The feeling of the warm sand running through my fingers, the cold water splashing my toes, the nice little breeze every now and then that brings the sweet, salty smell of the water to my nose. Ahh, now this is the life.

I know it sounds strange, right? A beach in Brooklyn, but it's real, I swear. I’ve been living in this tight knit community for ten years now and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Now I am sitting in my dorm room with two hours and twelve days sitting between me and my summer vacation and I can’t wait to be enjoying my beach days. I’ve always loved the beach since I was little and during those times, I would only see the beach while on vacation in Florida. So, you can imagine my excitement as an 11-year-old being told you would be moving across from a beach. However, this beach is different. This beach isn't as big compared to other beaches and.... well, if you want to be technical, it's actually a canal. But hey, it has salt water and sand so it’s a beach to me!

Reminiscing about my time on this little slice of paradise and all the memories I’ve made, such as meeting my best friends, playing dibble-dabble, red rover and British bull dogs, endless amounts of cuts on my feet from digging for clams, acquiring my first jellyfish sting, playing basketball, and so much more. When I was younger, the days spent on the beach seemed to last forever and the nights even longer; I loved that. Especially during the weekends, when everyone would stay late and being there turned into party. But, now that I’ve gotten older, the days seem to fly by and it’s kind of disappointing. I feel myself losing the perfect endless summers at this beach. Being an “adult” and working different hours cuts in on my beach time. I know it’s a matter of growing up, but it’s still upsetting. I don’t want to leave the beach behind. I come to this beach to think, relax and have fun. Where will I be without it?

I spent most of my life in this beach town and with living here I’ve learned so much. This beach has made me the person I am today, has shown me what family is, and with time passing by quickly, it makes me think of what the future holds for both the beach and myself. I think of the future often and it’s never really scared me as much as it does now. My college career will be coming to an end soon and making a life of my own, and getting a real job scares me to death. At times, I wish I could go back and relive these endless days, but we all come to a point in our lives when we have to grow up and move on, even if we don’t want to.

I always question if I will come back to it when I’m grown and have my own family. I wonder if it will be the same even in a few years. Will the same people be there or will it be a bunch of new faces that I have never known? I want it be the same beach that I have come to love and that has become another home for me. I know that I will always hold this beach close to my heart and I know that it will change, but it will always be the beach that was just across the street where I could go to do whatever I wanted, where my friends became family, and this beach became a part of me.

As for right now, I’m going to try and think of the future less and enjoy the time I get to spend there now.