i'll never forget the feeling of my bare feet in the hot sand. the roar of the crashing waves, the bright, blinding sunlight. i remember the screaming of the young ones, taunting the waves and then running away from them as if they were fire, ready to burn their heels. the distant barks of the sea otters from beneath the pier and the laughs that echoed from the amusement park, resting on the boardwalk, not a mile away. the light thumping of volleyballs as they were set and spiked from over the nets behind me. i can recall the shouting of the surfers as they tore up the rough waves, both hands up in the air, spirits higher than the clouds. the cars cruised along the streets, followed by bicycles and runners. everyone was so content. santa cruz. even just hearing the name could make me smile.
i wanted nothing to do with the busy pier and the crowded streets. i lived on the beach and in the seats of the roller coasters. for hours, i could lay in the warm sand and build castles, dig up hermit crabs, collect shells, and swim to the bottom of the undertow, reaching safety before i was swept away. i dared the sharks and other sea creatures to get any closer, secretly scared of them as i swam further away than my brother. it became a contest. i always won, putting on my most fearless face and swimming away before i could change my own mind.
whenever the sun set across the beautiful blue ocean, we would pack up our towels and leave for the rides. weekends there with my close friend and her family were my favorite. the wristbands that clung to our hands were symbols of hours on end with cotton candy, butterflies in our stomachs, and innumerable amounts of giggles. i fell in love with this place. and i liked to think that it loved me, too.
we got stuck at the very top of the ferriswheel that evening, right before the sun disappeared behind the endless miles of blue. i watched the beautiful oranges and pinks mix with royal purples and fluffy whites, blending into a spectrum of clouds that took my breath away and left me speechless. strangers scraped a smile into the sand below us as we hovered in silence, and i couldn't help but mirror it. perfection.
i watched the waves crash continuously on the shore, the mist lifting up from the water, only to fall back down again. an endless routine, one that would never end. the ups and downs. it reminded me of life. the essence of living in our world was never as simple as the crashing of waves, but the comparison gave me comfort. another reason to smile.
