As I sit here on the east coast with my feet being washed over by the waves and sand-crusted in my hair, it feels as if time has stopped. I stare out into the vastness of the ocean and my problems begin to wash away with the seaweed.

All that has ever left me unsure in life, somehow makes sense in this moment.

There is something about the salty air and the sound of the ocean that make all of your problems seem so small. You get tan, your hair gets longer, and overall, you feel like a healthier person.

The ocean heals you. It heals your body and it heals your soul.

When you spend an entire year focusing on school and work and you are overwhelmed with anxiety, the ocean is the place to get in touch with your true self again. It washes away the entire year that you just endured and makes you the best, happiest version of yourself that there is.

Ironically, I am terrified of the ocean. Yet, somehow the beach is still my favorite place in the world. Even though I never go in the ocean, there is something exhilarating about standing face to face to with your biggest fear and giving in to it.

I've never been sure what exactly scares me about the ocean. From the powerful waves to the vastness, to fear of the unknown, it all sends a shiver down my spine.

I think the thing that scares me the most is its sense of realness. When you stand face to face with the ocean, it is as if you are standing face to face with yourself and everything that you have ever done that you don’t want anyone to know about. The ocean knows all of your secrets and lays them out in front of you, begging you to forgive yourself for them.

You begin to feel your own existence a little more than you ever have before. It teaches you that you are here, and you are going to make it despite anything bad in life telling you otherwise.

People are so terrified of life and feeling but the ocean teaches you that feeling is an essential part of living and that you will make it.

The ocean is a window to a new beginning where you can change any part of your life that makes you unhappy. It leads you to the things that you need to change and gives you the bravery to do so.

Walking away from the ocean, you feel empowered. It is as if the ocean has given you some of its own power and courage to push you through life.

You get up and brush the sand off of your legs and begin to walk away. You turn your back to the things you fear and all of the bad things you are too ashamed to talk about. You leave them there with the ocean and trust that it will wash them away.

You leave the ocean silently and dignified, ready to take on anything else that life wants to throw at you.

Free from all of the anchors that have held you down for so long, you are reminded that there is still beauty in the world, even if it seems nearly impossible to find at times.

You are left with the message that you too, are just as powerful as the ocean.