It was a beautiful summer evening, and the end of June was approaching. I found myself walking along the shore of South Carolina on a beach that was nearly empty, likely due to the fact that it was almost midnight. It had been exactly one year since I had been here. I was fresh out of high school, enjoying the summer between my senior year and my freshman year of college.

I remember it seemed as though everything was moving by so quickly - too quickly. There was a vague sense of apprehension, as well as a wild fear of the unknown as I began to count down the weeks until my first quarter began. I knew nothing of what would be coming my way as I finally ventured off into the real world, ready to engage in a full sense of independence and begin living my own life.

Throughout this process that seemed to drag on for an eternity, I noticed that I was seldom at peace. I was constantly out enjoying myself, trying to make the most of the time I had left before everything would change. Even in the moments where I was the happiest, the thought of this new lifestyle would often creep into the back of my mind and dissolve it. Looking back on things from my present point of view, I would never have expected to be as pleased with the outcome of my situation as I am.

I wish, in a sense, that I could go back to this day, to this location, and tell myself that things were going to fall into place.

I could not sleep, so I had hoped that a stroll through the sand would relax me. I remember the sound of the roaring waves crashing against the shoreline, with the faint smell of a bonfire wafting through the air. I also remember how much I had wanted to be alone in that moment, and for the first time in what seemed to be the longest of times, I was alone. I was completely alone with my thoughts.

I walked down this beach for what felt like miles. I lost track of time as I focused on the sound of the waves, losing myself in every collision. All that I do know is that this was the moment where I found what I had been longing for. I stood in that ocean, watching the glare of the moon shine down upon it, and I did nothing but think. I let every fear and inhibition race through my mind as I gazed out into that vast body of water, letting its beauty overtake me through every worry or concern.

There was something so utterly calming and peaceful about this experience that I could never describe it to the fullest extent.

It was then that I backed away from that magnificent ocean, taking a glance back, and I began to walk away.

Ahead in the distance were a cluster of rocks, and I soon found myself climbing atop them, positioning myself so that I was once again facing the water. I placed my bag down next to me, and I whipped out my notebook, writing down everything that I saw, everything that I felt, everything that I was experiencing.

It was on this empty beach in South Carolina that I gained a sense of the inner-peace that I had so desperately been seeking. I had the slightest idea of what my future held, or the obstacles could have potentially crossed my path. Yet, in that moment, it did not matter. Nothing mattered. For I was finally at peace, and that was all that I needed.

I wish, in a sense, that I could go back to this day, to this location, and tell myself that things were going to fall into place.