It's been months. The salt air hits you with a rush of sentiments; nostalgia, excitement and wonder. The blue swirls of the ocean lure you toward the shoreline and as your bare feet kiss the cool tickle of the receding swells, you feel an instantaneous relief that is the sole resultant of summer.

Someone who spends their summers by the sea knows the unparalleled joy that comes from the first sight of the ocean after nine months of being landlocked. It's a reunion like no other – it's a journey. There's something so refreshing about the sea breeze; it infiltrates the summer heat with a refreshing hint of inspiration and purpose. And as you embark on your adventure to the coast, the wind whipping through your rolled-down car window, whispering secrets from the sea, you're assured that this will be the best summer yet.

As you ascend the beach path (probably barefoot – getting your seafaring feet properly callused for the barefoot days that linger ahead), the blue horizon interrupts the sandy landscape at last, finally giving your parched heart the view its been yearning for all winter. This first glimpse of the sparkling sea – the sunshine hitting the crests of the waves, sending glittery specks of light dancing across the surface – offers an infinite pool of opportunity. This summer, check countless items off your beach bucket list; surf at night (with glow sticks adorning your board), sail to a sandbar (on a windy day), and picnic on the jetty (pack pb and j's, of course).

Or, if the rolling swells instill a desire to relax, do just that – tan (don't forget your SPF) and sprawl out in the sand. There's nothing quite like spending the entire day basking in the summer sun, oceanside. Even when the sun is cowering behind clouds tightly sewn across the sky, the beach still entices and summons the true beach bum. Grab a hoodie, a book (Jack Kerouac never fails), and a blanket – and you're set. No matter what weather each day brings, you know you'll be sitting side by side with the tides, because you remember that initial reunion with the ocean – the initial euphoria – and you know that one day in the not-so-distant future, you'll have to say that dreaded goodbye and venture back to your landlocked roots.

So, each time your heart leads you toward the infinite depth of rolling tides – adventures awaiting in each swelling wave – roll down your window; inhale the salt air, and smile, because it's finally summer. Prepare for your most memorable beach expedition yet. The sea awaits.