Just Like the Ocean Needs the Waves

There's a kiteboarder zipping in and out of the frothy waves. The sea breeze is cool, the sun warm on your face. There's a little girl making sand angels on the shore, picking up shells and throwing them back into the ocean. There's a faint thumping of music from a resort nearby.

It's the same island, a different time. The wind is too strong—they've already set up barriers along the beachfront. The sun is still shining.

The days aren't enough. You wake up early every morning, hoping to catch the sun at its brightest. You lay out and try not to burn. You jump into the water to cool off. The waves jostle you around and you fall on your knee. When you need to leave, you want to stay a little longer. Catch the last rays of light that you can on your almost burnt shoulders, dig your toes a little deeper into the powder-soft sand. It's never enough.

And the only remembrance you get? The faint color on your cheeks and a tiny purple bruise on your right knee.