It’s said you can never be more than 67km (~40 miles) from the ocean in Nova Scotia.
Thankfully, where I grew up it was much, much less.
In fact, I grew up right next to the ocean. I could walk down about forty steps, and be on the beach.
At the age of 8, I started sailing lessons at the yacht club across the bay. I sailed with my parents much earlier than that.
At age 16, teaching sailing became my first summer job.
Sailing, swimming, boating—the ocean has always been a big part of my life.
The town I lived closest to—Lunenburg—is a historic fishing town. Lunenburg's most famous schooner, The Bluenose, is on the Canadian dime.
When you grow up near the ocean, it becomes a big part of the places you feel most comfortable.
It’s like your childhood home, or your city neighbourhood, or where you went to school. Spend enough time somewhere, and you start to feel at ease.
I’m sure the same is true of people who grow up near mountains, or in the middle of farmland.
Being back in those kind of environments makes you feel at home.
Of course, the best part about the ocean, compared to other environments, is you can find it all over the world.
Some speculate there is a special quality about the ocean that resonates with us.
It’s well-known that nature in general has a calming effect.
Whatever the reason, the ocean remains very special to me.
Sailing, surfing, diving, swimming—they’ve always been a source of relaxation.
It helps that they often force you to leave your phone behind.
In a world where it has become harder to disconnect, that has only made the ocean more special.
