Tuesday, April 17, 2012

O is for Ocean

As a little girl growing up in land-locked Nebraska (see yesterday's post) I never dreamed I would ever live anywhere near the ocean.  My experience with bodies of water were limited to the local swimming pool, the small man-made lakes near the city where I grew up and the Platte river (again, see yesterday's post).

In fact, when I saw the ocean for the first time I couldn't take my eyes off it.  I was eleven years old and my family and I were heading to the shores of the Atlantic at the same time as Hurricane Bob in 1991.  Driving east bound toward the ocean I watched with big eyes as a steady stream of cars passed us in the left lane.  I was scared but pretty sure my dad wouldn't take us somewhere too dangerous.

Happily, my own little girl didn't allow anything to dampen her spirits!
When we finally reached the beach the waves were majestic and thundered as they crashed.  I remember running away from the foam and giggling with delight as it lapped up toward my feet.  There was a stranger there who kept laughing too.  I was so embarrassed I decided I wouldn't act excited about the ocean anymore but later I discovered that he was a regular beach comber and was just thrilled to pieces to see someone seeing the ocean for the first time.  I feel bad now that I allowed my 11 year old sense of embarrassment overshadow the joy of seeing the ocean.

Up until I moved to the Philippines I could count on my two hands the times I'd seen the ocean.

I am so blessed now to live in a country of over 7,000 islands with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  We've been on two little trips now to specifically enjoy the beach and sometimes I almost feel like I need to pinch myself to know that it is real.


3 comments:

Johanna said...

One of the reasons why I want to move to PEI :) though the Gulf of St Lawrenxe is not exactly the ocean :) We have camped near the beach and I have fallen asleep listening to the soft rumble of the waves washing the shore. My first time seeing the ocean was in 2004 when we travelled out east for the first time, I was 31 years old :)

Unknown said...

You are so fortunate.

Lucy

Jean said...

I'm trying to remember the first time I saw the ocean - for sure in 2001 when we went to St. Vincent also in 2009 in HI. Crossed the Atlantic in 2006 & 2011 but you can't see much from the air at night. Does the Chesapeake Bay count? saw it in 1972 (is that the year David was born?) Ferried across the Straight of Georgia between mainland BC and Vancouver Island in 1985 or 86.
I was always quite taken with the Great Lakes as a kid.