is the beach a place of healing? or is it just me?

from one island to the next, this is where my soul finds freedom.

Puerto Escondido, Mexico, 2019

The air here reminds me of Hawaii, the warm tropical breeze stirring the palm trees. From the flat rooftop, you can hear the slight crashing of waves, accompanied by the shrill chirping of birds. There is so much greenery, so much vibrancy, so much life — the whole place is teeming with it.

Even the people are like that — bronzed, energetic, vivacious, friendly. Maybe it’s the constant exposure to the sun; maybe it’s the slower pace of living.

It brings me back to the times I was on the islands; times of family, of childhood, of unraveling a little bit more of myself.

Big Island, Hawaii, 2010

There was the trip to the Big Island right before my sophomore year of high school. I was at the peak of my swim career then and was devastated to miss an entire week of practice. I made up for it by swimming with sea turtles at black sand beaches and with…