From Day to Night

Blazing and sweltering, the sun shines down on my body, burning itself into my skin as I walk along the sandy shore of the ocean, trying to cope with the dull ache in my heart. Pieces of seashells stick out of the sand, the scalding sand that I cannot stand still on for too long because it burns too much. To cool my feet, I run down to the gleaming water, allowing the soothing tide to lick my toes, my heels, my ankles, until I give in to the temptation and walk deeper into the roaring waves. They rush forward, rolling over each other, pushing everything aside in their eagerness to greet me. As I get deeper out, the tide creeps up to my knees, my hips, my waist, my shoulders, and then I can no longer feel the sandy ocean floor beneath me. I’m swimming now, my arms stroking through the water effortlessly, independently. The waves are softer, caressing, not trying to push me back to shore anymore, instead trying to wash away my pain, my homesickness for Michigan.

I float on my back on the water’s surface, looking up at the cheerful blue sky framed by puffy white clouds. I hear nothing but the waves crashing against each other and seagulls cawing as they fly through the air, drowning out the sounds of the people on the shore. I feel the sun’s burning rays hitting me, but with the refreshing water washing over my body, it is no longer uncomfortable. My thoughts flicker to Michigan, my home, but before I make myself too depressed with those thoughts, I focus on the waves, letting them immerse me in tranquility. I lay there on top of the water, watching the clouds move above me for seemingly forever before taking a deep breath, filling my lungs with the salty air, and going under the sea.

There, it’s like a different world, the waves a quiet murmur above me. My hair circles crazily around my face and I see nothing, the darkness ominously obscuring my vision. I am surrounded in nothing, suspended in the water, tasting the saltiness on my lips. It is strangely peaceful and I surprise myself by realizing that in Michigan, one couldn’t do this. Finally, my head breaks through the water and I emerge back into the real world, only to be greeted by an amazing spectacle. The sun sets above me, the sky an array of pinks, purples, oranges and yellows. After bobbing in the surf for a few moments, watching in awe and wonder, I swim back to the shore, my heart feeling lighter.

Upon reaching land, I lay down, the sand sticking to my wet body, rooting me to the Florida ground. The sun has completely disappeared now. The gentle wind rustles the bushes and the straight backed palm trees. Stars appear in the black sky and the moon winks above me, looking like the tip of my thumbnail. I bathe in the dim light and breathe in the salty air, relishing in the quiet serenity of all that my new home has to offer.