The sea is a place of mystery, wonder and beauty. It captures the minds of people who are drawn to its call. I am one such person, captivated by the ocean’s waves and tides. There is something about being near the water that soothes me in ways nothing else can. The sound of crashing waves against rocks lulls me into a sense of peace; it calms my worries and sends my mind off on daydreams as I watch seagulls fly overhead or dolphins swim alongside boats with curiosity . I am fascinated by the ocean’s power and ability to make me feel tiny in comparison. It is easy for me to lose track of time when I’m near it, standing on a shore watching waves roll towards land or sitting on my dock late at night listening to water lap against its supports. The sea inspires creativity; it creates stories that are written and songs that are sung. It is a place of inspiration; the ocean is my muse for writing poetry, short stories and novels. I can’t imagine living without it; it would be like trying to breathe underwater! The sea has me under its spell, with its ebb and flow sending me off into a dream world where anything seems possible.

I can’t imagine living without it, for the ocean is my muse and inspiration. It captures me in its beauty while captivating me with its call to explore beyond what I know.  I love surfing in waves in the ocean. I find it so relaxing to feel the sea beneath me and to see nothing but glistening water all around me. There’s nothing like catching a nice wave while out on my surfboard, feeling that rush of thrill as you dive into it before riding it back towards shore. Once I’m out there, it’s hard to imagine that the rest of my life is going on back on land as I’m swept away with this sense of freedom and exhilaration.  The wind is in my face, the salt water stings every inch of skin that’s exposed – but it feels so good to be alive. It takes me back to when I was a child and would go out alone into the ocean with nothing more than an inflatable orange ring around my waist, trying not to drown or get swept away by waves .

I was never afraid of the ocean then, and that’s how it is for me now too. It holds a certain magic to it that makes everything else in my life feel like an illusion; something not real…almost surreal.  I love surfing out there – paddling away until you get caught up in this wave of energy and before you know it, you’re shooting along the drops of water like they were road signs pointing out where to go.  The ocean is an endless body; this blue canvas that paints itself with different shades of color depending on how deep you are and what mood she’s in – but whatever shade it may be, I’ll always love the captivating ocean.