From coast to coast you can find it’s waves, eating at the land around itself and trying to gain more territory to claim for it’s vast oceans. There is a countless field of sand, and shelling for days to keep you entertained and interested. Rain or shine the weather is better here than anywhere else on the planet because a rain storm by the beach is more beautiful than any alternative.

My favorite part about the beach is the mentality it inspires. There’s a reason that “life’s a beach” and similar anecdotes have been created to explain the feeling one receives when close to the coast – it awakens something in you, while simultaneously calming your inner turmoil. There seems to be no reason to stress over the minute details of life, and the anxiety you held over the future seems to melt away the moment your foot meets with the sand. The need to plan and establish, arrange and control, seem to melt away because the inevitability of the crashing waves always set to happen, seems to place respectful context on all other elements of the universe and its plan.

I have been stressed about school more-so than ever before, trying to take on the challenge that is being a Junior in college, while simultaneously juggling the responsibilities not outlined in the course catalog, but just as important. This past week I had the opportunity to skip a couple days of classes and return back to my favorite place on the planet – the ocean. The sea functions as my own personal form of therapy and this adventure was no different. I spent my days laying in the sun, or watching the waves from a perch with a view. There’s something about the sound of the waves and the fresh smell of sea salt carried in the breeze to make you feel like a new human being. I could literally feel the tension and weight of realities expectations leaving my body from the moment I set my eyes on the watery horizon, and for a couple of days, reality was not anything more than sand and waves and sun.

The sea holds no expectations, when you are on the ocean the only thing it asks is that you appreciate its beauty – and the inevitability of it coming to an end (unless you are fortunate enough to live by the water). When you are at the ocean there is no pressure to see something in particular, or seek out a specific experience, it’s to have a generally pleasant time doing whatever you want, with the people you care about.

The beach is my favorite place to be on earth. It offers the unrelenting and almost unnatural beauty of the crashing sea, with unspoken encouragement to engage in activities in its presence that lead to nothing but joy and relaxation. The sea is the place to be, and someday I will be lucky enough to call it my permanent place of residence – but until then, I will seek it out wherever it may be.