There's a place far from Gainesville, far from the commotion of city life, far from the busy bees and the bustling noises of traffic that takes me back to nostalgic times.
It's not a church, or a temple, or any building that's dedicated to obtaining inner peace or blessings of a higher power. A place like this is too pure to be man-made. If it were, the true beauty and power of this place would be lost.
This place is Passe-a-Grille Beach – a small, not-so-popular beach just south of St. Petersburg, that is surrounded by water on both ends of this narrow strip of land.
I remember going to this beach every weekend before I moved away for college. I would drive all the way down until I hit the end of it. I had a specific spot on the beach that was my go-to. Think of it as my unassigned assigned seat in a lecture hall.
What's special about this beach is that you could see the sunrise from one side of the beach, and then simply walk over to the other side to watch the sunset.
I have never encountered a literal heaven on Earth that is the best of both worlds (or suns for that matter).
All the little troubles that consume my mind, the little things I fixate over, the minuscule tasks I have complete all vanish into thin air when I'm simply sitting in the sand, in awe, staring at this majestic star. A sense of calmness and warmth pervades me.
What truly makes this place my place is the experiences and memories I've had with myself and the people I love.
In times of despair, this place eases my mind and washes away all of my troubles. With each crashing wave, I can sense my worries fading away, as if my troubles were tiny grains of sand being pulled in to the never-ending ocean. Forever gone.
From the soft-spoken prayers and muffled cries to the pure moments of happiness while sun basking, this place has witnessed both the ugly and the beautiful sides of my soul and mind.
It was an escape from the harsh realities of the world, an escape from the everyday stress-inducing thoughts, an escape from other people's negative auras. This place cleansed my soul of the negative baggage I bore. I would dig my feet into the warm, soft sand, close my eyes and let the sound of waves crashing take full control of my auditory senses.
The tranquility and sense of peace I felt was unparalleled to any feelings of "happiness" in this world. Hell, happiness is an understatement.
There is something so powerful and mind-easing about being in-tune with the way of the world. It has its own language, one that many people don't pay attention to on a day-to-day basis. But when you really focus, when you really put your mind into understanding what the waves are speaking to you, or what the direction of the wind means, you feel a sense of connection to a higher power; a sense of clarity that one can't obtain elsewhere.
For some, their place could be a church, or a temple, or a building that's dedicated to obtaining inner peace.
But for me, this is my sacred place.
If you ever find yourself there any time soon, send my kindest regards to this place that has never given up on me or let me down.
