i. A minivan full of friends and I had just arrived at Carolina Beach, North Carolina on an early October night. We’d spent nearly 12 full hours driving and did not arrive until a ripe 3:30am. The drowsiness that had been plaguing us throughout the final leg of our journey began to dissipate as signs for our destination popped up, letting us know we had not much farther to go. It evaporated altogether at the first scent of saltwater. We cruised down the beach town with windows down, anxious with want for the sea. We had hardly unloaded the van before everyone was prancing in circles around themselves with anticipation to really see the beach. Rest was not within reach until after we had greeted the ocean. She beckoned us down the path of sand, loudly, impatiently, intensely. Like giddy children, we jumped around the shoreline, letting the water rush in to meet our toes and lap at our ankles. A distant lighthouse waved hello. With our acquaintance made, the rush left our bodies and exhaustion grew imminent. We said goodnight and left for bed.
ii. We met with the sea again two nights later. After an evening spent in Raleigh for a concert, we found ourselves once again traveling toward the coast at night, and that familiar pull tugged at our minds. “It’s late,” we said. “Yeah, but what if…” it responded. A quick change upon arrival home had me and one friend ready for a little swim, joined by two other friends who preferred the warm, dry, observational experience from a towel farther back. The brisk October air brushed the waves but did so in a manner gentle enough that the water retained the last of its summer warmth just for us. The night belonged to the four of us, the ocean, and the breeze wrapping us all together. Our short swim felt like an eternity.
iii. The last night of our stay, three of us ventured down the beach path a final time to say our goodbyes. It was all that was left after packing and before being able to give in to sleep. The big, crashing waves and the greedy currents had teased us for much of our time in the water, but the games we played were fun and left us with many stories to tell. The waves were no less intense as we walked along the shore that night. The loud rise and fall of the water echoed in my chest. The beach offered up glimmering shells and a single shark tooth as a parting gift. We left with promises to return.
+ i. One early morning we arose with the intent to meet the sun where it broke the horizon, but it meant more quality time with our beach as well, not long after we had left the night before, in fact. The ocean soundtracked the changing of the colors in the sky. The whole group of us were present to listen. The pelicans called out goodmornings and the dolphins teetered on the edge of the water’s surface to give us a glimpse. The sights and sounds of the ocean waking the world up were enough to melt away our worries for just a day. We became part of the beach for a moment, relaxation rolling like waves and awe splashing out all around at the crest. Our warm reception that morning marks the only time I have ever felt like I belonged in the world at such an early hour. It’s a feeling I will not soon let go of.
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