Benign sun warms my hair, cool ocean breeze kisses my face and exposed arms. The smells of saltwater & sunscreen fill my nose. Children shriek in delight as the cold water kisses their toes and sends exploratory fingers up their thighs. The sky is an impossible shade of blue, lightened toward the south where it provides a powdery blue backdrop for the villas that coat the hillside.

Eire crosses her arms and looks at the ocean while the sun glints on her tousled hair. She’s covered in sand, and the salty wet has reached her waist. I can’t even begin to guess what’s happening inside her mind, but one thing I can see we have in common: a sense of wonder at how much bigger the ocean is than us.

–Little Corona Beach, CA / mid-morning / off the grid