As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, there is nothing more familiar to a Long Island native than the calming journey to the beach, The windows down, the music blasting, and suddenly all the worries and problems you bear on your shoulders are lifted. When you approach the big brown sign that reads “Welcome to Jones Beach State Park,” you are instantly overcome with the true excitement that the beach can bring.

It is not uncommon to explore the sandy beaches of Long Island in the Spring due to its easy accessibility. A short trip around the pencil and bang, it’s all beachy from there. The beach to some is a place where people go to hang out with friends or get a nice golden tan, but for me, there is more than that.

The feeling of sand between my toes and the sound of the waves gently crashing along the shore as the sun shines down on my face creates a feeling of numbness in my bones. In those moments, nothing can touch me and I am invincible. I feel as though I can run a mile yet I sit and watch the waves crash and slowly recede back into the ocean the materialized from.

The waves remind me that what goes around comes around; if you make a big wave, there's destined to be a harsh sound and a string splash, but if you are gentle and loving, the wave will kiss the sand as it gently falls. The sand reminds me that not everything is permanent and there is beauty in change. There will always be another gust of wind or set of footprints following your own to alter what you have created, and it’s okay if these alterations aren’t for the best in the moment because in the long run, it’s still a beautiful beach with beautiful memories. Lastly the sun’s warm rays remind me of the memories I’ve had here with other people, friends and family. Although most are not by my side anymore the memories I share with them last forever.

To most people the beach is a place of summer fun and endless laughter, but to me it is the only place I can go to find myself. In the midst of living in crowded suburbia the waves welcome me like one of their own while my feet hug the sand as I sit in silence. The carefree moments I had on these beaches are memories I will never forget, but my favorites are the times I come alone to sit, and find myself in the rhythm of the ocean.