Today I Miss The Ocean

I'm sitting in a lecture hall with roughly 200 other students attempting to learn about operations management. For some reason cold air is still blowing from the vents in the business building. I'm freezing. I'm exhausted. I have a million things to do with absolutely no motivation to do any of them. I'm starting to think that this was a bad time to restrict my coffee intake in order to save a little money.

It is that point in the semester where the weight of finals and numerous project deadlines is just starting to surface, and I want to curl up in bed all day and watch tv just to give myself a break. It happens every year; the feeling of an end nearing settles in and my desire to be productive goes into hibernation. But still, I push through and manage to squeeze a little bit of productivity out of each day.

I want to leave. I want to explore. I want to take photos and write compelling sentences. I don't want to be stuck here anymore, counting down the days until I graduate college. I can almost taste freedom, and right now it feels like torture.

Today, I want salty skin and wind blown hair. I want to be comforted by the warmth of sunshine.

I want the ocean.

Coming from a small town in middle-of-nowhere-Iowa, I was always forced to travel several hours and hundreds of miles just to look at a coast. Because of the time and obstacles it takes to get there, I have always associated traveling to the ocean with adventure; getting away and exploring the world beyond the cornfields. I have to make sacrifices to get there. I spend money I probably don't have and miss out on precious time with my family. I put myself in a position of struggle every time I see the ocean, but every time it's worth it.

For me, the ocean is a promise of more; experiences, accomplishments, and happiness much greater than what I have now.

My mind is constantly in motion, but it seems that the ocean is the only thing that brings it to a halt. I feel serenity. All of my stress fades away, and certainty grows within me. Looking out at the massive body of water, I am sure of myself and my goals. I feel capable. I am one person, but I am powerful. The ocean waves fuel my confidence.

I love the person I am when I am sitting in the sand.