The air is different here— unspoiled, relaxed with a festive undertone that conveys unity and camaraderie. It’s exactly what I need to forget the bickering of a belligerent boss. This beach, with its warm white sand that shifts underneath my feet, keeps the noise at my back and the light to my face. Playful breeze ...

Makayla dropped her dance bag by the front door with a loud thump and made her way into the kitchen. “I said I’m sorry,” her mother trailed in behind her. “The meeting ran long.” Makyla pulled a water bottle from the fridge and let the door drop behind her. “Your meetings always run late,” she ...

When I was growing up, we never went to the coast. We lived in an urban area, about an hour from the nearest shore. Back then, I didn’t yearn for its peace because I didn’t need it. Our concrete-jungle neighborhood offered places to play and a loving community. Years later, after I started dating my ...

The sound of urgent footsteps and panicked voices jolted Roxanne awake. Surrounded by empty seats, she sat alone in a bus that could accommodate seventeen people. Outside, the other occupants were busy packing up their belongings as they dismantled the beachside campsite. What’s going on? She lazily stretched her body and tried to shake off ...

I am the type of person who wants to spend the most time they can with my loved ones. I want my friends and family to know that I care. The thing I’ve learned throughout the years is that I may think I’m putting in the maximum amount of effort, but to the other person, ...

“Ah, do you just love the sound of bones crushing?” “I was finally enjoying this town,” Mr. Irwin fussed as he dug his hand saw into Sally’s right leg. “Why do you have to keep ruining my life?!” “Don’t blame me,” the voice screamed. “You have chosen this path before I ever came along! You ...

A beach is a beach, right?  Not so much. Each beach is unique due to the variety of indigenous influences.  Sand, water, shells, and tourists may all be a common factor, but even those factors differ greatly. Recently my family enjoyed a family vacation in the Outer Banks.  It was our first time visiting the ...