A faint breeze brought goose bumps to my skin and the sudden smell of saltwater to my nose; but, the slowly rising sun welcomed me. The morning was slightly chilly. The wind gently pushed a sailboat onward and softly rocked it with the movement of the waves. I took a deep breath and my lungs filled with the crisp air of the sea. Infinitesimal seashells covered the sand. My fingers traced the smooth lines. Some wrinkles were fragile and would break. Other shells were resilient to the saltwater.
My eyes ran along the beach, trying to pick up every foreign detail. The sailboat I had first seen was further from shore. I could see birds flying above and hear their singing. One bird glided down until he was just above the water then swooped up into the air again. My eyes were now drawn to the infinite pool. Near the shore, the blue was translucent: fresh, clean, and pure. The clear water mixed to a light blue, and then a smooth aquamarine. Far from shore, the aquamarine blended into a rich indigo. The deep blue lurked with the mystery of what lay below.
Cool sand brushed between my toes: they were unfamiliar with the soft grains beneath me. Each step of my bare feet shifted the sand. It too was unaccustomed to my presence.
As I walked, my eyes surveyed the edge of the water. The shore grew closer and soon the sand beneath me became damp. Only my toes touched the water, and I shivered. The sun had not been awake long enough to warm the water. Little by little, I was immersed in the ocean. I held my breath. The sand underneath me was no longer heavy, but light as my toes curled. A wave brushed against my face. I could taste the salt on my lips.
I closed my eyes and floated on my back. I let the water push and pull me. The smell of the ocean that filled the air was all around me. It was a new smell. A smell I couldn’t decide if I liked.
I let all these new thoughts disappear and only focused on floating. The singing gulls and all the other surrounding sounds quieted until all I heard was the silence of the water. The sky was cloudless and no longer had tints of the sun’s rays; it was a more vibrant blue, the blue of a day that had already begun.
The sailboat appeared closer than it had been. I noticed the slanted yellow stripes along her sail. She was graceful, going wherever the waves would take her…letting the wind and movements of the water turn her. I turned around and saw that I was much further from shore. I started to swim back. It was an effortless swim. I mimicked the sailboat and let the tide roll me in. I relaxed.
I was back at shore and my legs were so used to the care-free easiness of swimming, they did not want to stand. Instead, I lay on the sodden sand. My long hair was tangled, and smelt like the sea. A smell that I had decided I liked.