Whenever I feel stressed out, depressed, or just need a little me time, I take a drive to the beach and watch the sunset. For me, the beach is my safe haven, it is my sanctuary. One of the many reasons I love Long Island so much is because of the beautiful beaches that are only a 20-minute drive away if you live on the south shore! There are times I just need to get away for a bit and escape reality. Watching the sunset makes me feel so relaxed and even more so, so appreciative of the life that I live. It gives me the privilege to be in the moment and not worry about a care in the world. It gives me moments I never forget, even if I am alone. Most times I rather take a drive alone and sit by myself. This gives me the opportunity to truly find myself and gives me the alone time that everyone needs from time to time. Each one of us has the right to escape. We have the right to take a break from our busy schedules, our busy lives, and appreciate all of the other things life has to offer other than our daily routines we do day in and day out.

Life is so unpredictable. As humans, we go through such hardships, such tragedies, and yet we find a way to be okay, to make it through each and every day. We never know what will happen tomorrow, the next day, or the following day. What we do know is that the sun will always rise and the sun will always set no matter what we are going through in our lives. This is something that will never change, that will always be a constant in our lives.

We all have different ways we cope with stress, depression, or any other problem you could be facing. This is my coping mechanism. This is the only way I truly feel at peace with my inner self. Every single time I watch the sunset I take a picture. If I cannot make it to the beach I have pictures I can reminisce on, even though pictures do not do it justice.

Long Island you will always have my heart. The sunsets I have watched here helped me through my darkest days, my saddest days, and even my happiest of days. This is the only coping mechanism I can always count on and it could be yours as well. The past few years I have captured incredible moments that I will be sharing with you, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I will forever be where the sun is setting.