Seeing the Ocean, That Is

Our First Time Seeing the Ocean is Magical

I remember my first time seeing the ocean, a fond memory I visit often. My family just arrived to my grandparent’s cottage on Nag’s Head, one of the Outer Bank Islands off of North Carolina. I could smell the salt of the air and hear the loud roar of the night ocean, two new experiences. My sister and I had never seen the ocean before. I was eleven and my sister was eight years old. Our parents were extremely excited for us to see the ocean, and they played up what the whole experience would be like for weeks before hand.

It was just after midnight. We pulled into the long cottage driveway. Immediately, our step-mother and the two of us took off for the beach. We could barely see. As our eyes adjusted to the dark and we were running up and over the small sand dune out back, I could hear our grandmother yelling from the porch in a somewhat already defeated manner, “Don’t you let those kids get wet and drag sand into the cottage!”

Insider’s Guide

5 Stars

Calming Sounds

Audio CD or MP3

The Living Ocean
Relaxing Scenes
DVD 5 Stars

At the top of the sand dune, I saw the ocean. The small whitecaps of the waves were lit by the moon. The moon lit the ocean and beach just enough for us to see everything and not stumble over whelk shells or large horseshoe crabs. (They were everywhere.) That’s when the serious running started. My sister and I (step-mother included who was now acting as child as well) naturally started the seemingly innate ritual of running with and from the waves as they crashed and rolled up the beach.

I am a bit of a risk taker. So, needless to say, I got really wet and completely full of sand. So did my sister and step-mother. Sorry Grandma, but not really.

We were there for a full week, and every morning I woke naturally just before sunrise and took off for the beach. I would walk for at least two hours alone
collecting sea glass and shells, all while staring at the ocean almost non-stop and taking in all the seaside natural activity….various crabs, gulls, sand pipers and an occasional porpoise. I was thankful and could hardly believe that I was actually getting to see the ocean. On our last night I asked if I could sleep outside on a hammock that was on the porch. I wanted to hear the ocean for as long as I could. I was allowed to even though the night was cold. I bundled up, and it was worth it. I think I thought that not everyone gets to experience this, and I was thrilled and grateful that I was one of the lucky ones.

image credits:

1. photo titled Beach at Night by Jason Ahrns at North Point, NC
2. photo titled Forever Young by Chris Ford