Look into its depths and you will see your future.

Brighton, England

(As written in my journal)

My hands are so cold I can scarcely write. I'm not dressed for the weather but I can't force myself inside. I'm sitting among millions of stones smoothed by the waters of the sea, on this beach - the edge of Britain. It is so gray, very windy, and the sea is magnificent. Unbelievably calm. It's been too long since I've sat in this way, gazing into the ocean. It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly edified I feel when I can smell of the salty air, watch the waves as they make their way inland. What poet said it, "My purest thoughts are born of the sea"?

This still seems a bit surreal. I can't believe I'm here and yet a part of me feels there is no other place I could possibly be. I'm feeling whole in a way I have not felt for quite some time. I am alone and I feel at peace. The sea reminds me of my place in the world, my smallness. I think that's a tremendous part of why I feel so attached to the water...why it is so much a part of me.

About an hour ago, I stood at the top of the hill that leads to the beach. When I first approached the oceanfront, I stood there, eyes closed; I took in a deep breath and allowed a smile to render itself on my face. (A huge smile, by my standards.) I couldn't resist -and when I opened my eyes, several were staring. I had to laugh a bit, I must have looked so silly. How often does one see another standing alone, surrounded by frigid air, grinning ear-to-ear?

To some, the water is dull and gray. Unremarkable. But, in its pallor I see life. To those bystanders, I looked foolish. Yet, I felt beautiful. Somehow fresh, new, childlike. It's all about relativity. A subtle paradigm shift and a new world makes its way to your feet.