When I was travelling recently, I heard my friend describe the period of his upcoming holiday time as the days until he could next see the ocean. I had never heard someone express this, but it crystallized exactly the way I feel – when will I next see the ocean?
I was born near the ocean and from a young age craved going to the beach and playing in the sea. Although I currently live near one of the Great Lakes, its not the same as the ocean with its unique sounds and constant changes.
I began to calculate how often my travel plans are about the ocean – and how I can access it. One of my absolute favourite things to do is to float in the ocean, feeling the buoyancy of the salt water as I feel the power of the ocean waves. I realized how many times I was the first person on a trip to go to the ocean’s edge, jump in the water and christen myself in the sea.
During a trip to the United Arab Emirates, I asked a local contact if it would be ok to go swimming in the Persian Gulf. He quickly corrected me, saying it was referred to as the Arabian Gulf. So I rephrased my questions with the correct name and he emphatically encouraged me to go to Jumeirah Beach in Dubai.
I dressed in long loose layers, trying to be modest and not draw too much attention to myself. My group of friends were equally discreet, and we walked farther along the soft sand, finding a spot that was a little distant from families and other beach-goers.
My fellow female travelers decided to set up on the the beach and check out the scene, while the male travelers were testing the waters with their feet, discussing what the water would be like as they stood on the soft creamy white sand.
I immediately took off my cover up, and headed straight into the water, throwing myself under the pale blue water and emerging with a huge grin on my face as the sea surrounded my body. The warm water was crystal clear – there wasn’t a plant to be seen, just sea water, sand and the occasional school of tiny silver fish.
All my anxieties vanished with the constant caress of the Arabian Gulf, and I relaxed in the buoyant water, content to gaze up at the sky. I looked to shore, seeing the groups of foreign workers, many who can’t swim, but come to the beach on their breaks to gawk at the visitors.
One by one my friends joined me in the warm water, understanding why I had been the early adopter to dunk myself immediately. I was happy once again with being in the sea, forgetting the time period it had been since I had last been swimming in the salt water.
The Arabian Gulf had welcomed me like many of its residents, with warmth and a reassuring touch.