I am a Puget Sound native. I could drive a boat before I could drive a car. I can tie a line to a cleat faster than I can tie my shoes. I’ve jumped into 65 degree saltwater when the weather was not quite appropriate. I’ve sat and watched for logs. I’ve tried to follow paper navigation charts. I’ve cleaned up broken plates from rough waters. If the human body is 70 percent water, the water in mine comes from the Puget Sound.

So for someone who loves her coastal home so much, it seems slightly illogical that I chose to move to a place where the closest ocean or gulf is at least 8 hours away. But people do strange things and strange places sometimes present great opportunity, and I am more thankful than can be expressed that I get to spend holidays in a home I am so fond of.

When you’re from the coast, east or west, in close proximity to an ocean, there are a few things that are uniquely missed.

1.The water

Maybe a given, but spending 6 months at a time away from a coastline you grew up by takes a toll on a person. No longer is there a tide to watch, anywhere for the sunset to reflect, or a good place for a cold swim. Truly tragic.

2. The animals

Maybe this is a west coast thing, but in my 2 1/2 year stint away from the coast, I have been deprived of wildlife. Going home for a month means 4 weeks of watching seagulls (and maybe appreciating them more than I used to), spotting deer and waiting for fish (and maybe a whale or two) to jump. Also my dog and cat, but that seems universal.

3. The harbors

There is something special about boats tied up in a harbor. Even on rainy, windy days, the high masts, fenders and tight lines. Maybe it makes me think of summer or of going out on the boat, but I’d sit in a harbor and watch the boats bob up and down all day.

4. The food

If it used to live in saltwater, I’ll eat it. There is no place to get seafood quite like the coast itself. While my upbringing has ruined seafood anywhere else for me, I’m grateful for the novelty it has become. I’m already dreaming of fresh sushi.

5.The culture

In coastal cities, by the very nature that they provide a gateway into this country, are so unbelievable rich in different cultures, in a way that landlocked cities cannot even touch. I grew up on authentic Vietnamese and Japanese food and absolutely credit those foodie experiences for my love of strange and new foods.

Being home is commonly great for plenty of reasons, but going home to the coast is a different experience. My soul is lifted from the second the plane breaks the cloud cover and gives the first glimpse of white caps and coastline.