I'll never be able to move anywhere that is more than an hour from the ocean, or at least a lake or some form of body of water.

Being on the water became a lifestyle for me. Whether you truly believe the salt water runs through your veins or that the sand between your toes becomes a permanent part of you, if you've grown up around the water you know what I am talking about. My mom was water skiing with me when i was in her belly (yeah, probably not her best idea), so I have truly known the water all of my life.

It's not a feeling you can forget about or erase from your memory. For me, being on the water is pure bliss and my happy place. The sounds of the waves rolling in and crashing down on to the sand brings me to a peaceful place, even at the most difficult times. Whether you've lived by the ocean or by a lake/river, you know what I am talking about.

There is just something so special about a body of water. It's like an entire new world underneath the surface that only some people in this world are lucky enough to experience. You should feel lucky to have grown up around the water.

Being from Florida, I am surrounded by water on all sides. I have friends that after college are moving to places up north where the only water they have is snow or a frozen pond or two. But, I believe after spending time away from the water and the ocean, they'll move back because they can't live without it. They can't live without the smell of the ocean breeze or the feeling of salt in their hair.

It's a lifestyle and something that cannot be replaced. When your summers are spent in nothing but a bathing suit and some flip flops, you can't just forget that feeling. I would consider myself blessed to have been able to grow up near the ocean and vacation on a lake every summer. Earth's creations, especially bodies of water, will never go unappreciated.

So, if you have been privileged enough to grow up near water, consider yourself lucky and think about all the people who travel far and wide to be in your shoes. We're lucky and I'm never moving away from the water.