I was recently asked what my favorite pass time is, and almost without hesitation I replied "going to the beach." It's a pretty general answer and common among my area and with people my age. That was really the end of it, until I looked down and noticed I carry the ocean with me everywhere. My jewelry box is loaded with shiny silver and bright colors, but I tend to wear the same pieces everyday. Oddly enough, they are all given to me by different people, but they all are ocean related. I have known for a long time that the beach was special to me, so now that I only have a few more weeks with it right down the street, I thought I owed my favorite place on Earth a thank you.

Dear Beach,

Thank you for being my favorite place to have spent my childhood. As a young child, I would spend countless hours on the beach. Days passed filled with sandcastles, swimming and jumping off of my dad's shoulders. While I might not jump off shoulders or build sandcastles every time I visit you now, I have the best memories a child could ask for. I have you to thank for the bleached blonde, tan skin, sand-filled car memories that line my brain.

Thank you for sparking my curiosity. While I have always been a person who can be satisfied with answers, I have never stopped questioning the ocean. It is full of mystery, yet is something totally familiar at the same time. You are full with all different kinds of creatures and contradictions. You are what sparked a love of learning in my life, I think that's something my parents would thank you for too.

Thank you for always being there. While you can't move, you provide unwavering comfort. You're one of the only places that has seen me happy, sad, angry, hurt and filled with love. I have realized a lot about either myself, or my current situation spending time looking out onto your endless rows of waves.

Thank you for endless summer days spent in your company. You have never gone out of style to me, nor will you. I might be with my best friends, or I might be solo, or I might be with my family, but you are the perfect meeting place for everyone, or to grab some alone time.

Thank you for being a constant in my life. Jumping between two homes as been a normalcy in my life. It doesn't affect me, I don't notice it, but having the same safety net on both sides is a luxury no one understands. Knowing that no matter what house I'm at I can look out on to the same ocean and the coast line of my other home makes things a lot easier when I miss the people on the other side.

I have a lot to thank you for and these are just some of the reasons. I'm even more thankful to have you everywhere I go, by carrying you on my arms, neck and fingers. Knowing I have your ability to be strong and powerful when needed, yet also being calm and inviting with me at all times makes being a little farther away from you a tiny bit more bearable.

I love you!