There he stood, gazing out over the ocean, his hands placed on his hips. Slowly he drew in a breath of salty air, exhaling deeply. For a moment, Marcus held his ground, allowing the sun to cascade its warmth upon his skin. It felt invigorating, giving him the incentive to shake his beach towel off of his shoulder and rush down to the shore. With each stride he made, his feet pressed firmly into the wet sand, then splashing the water decorating the beach. The ocean spray kissed his cheeks as he waded himself through and past the first few waves. An exciting and anticipating smile played across his lips. This was where he was meant to be.

Diving under the last wave, he surfaced, the taste of the salt left on his lips only causing him to crave more. Suddenly he lunged forward; lifting himself in the water. He spun his arms around his head in strokes, kicking his legs in unison. He would turn his face to the east, partially out of the blue-green water and take a breath then repeat the process, switching directions. East. West. Kick. Push. Stroke. He sliced through the water as a knife through butter. A kind of euphoria came over Marcus as thousands of endorphins swam through his veins. He truly had an affinity with the ocean and this was obvious as he swam his way blissfully through the rest of afternoon.