Most of Homer’s Odyssey happened on the water. Odysseus, the story’s hero, was as mythical as the Sirens that sang to seduce him. Why not take a real adventure on or near the sea? Let this ode to the sea inspire you.
Time spent with the sea is synonymous with pleasure. It is the perfect environment for when one has become jaded by modern life. Most of our world is fast-paced and regulated. Bodies of water have none of that. Their structure is fluid. They never conform, and they naturally resist our movement to slow us down. These factors make it a welcome place to be. And frankly, any respectable traveler should seek saltwater.
A Living Lullaby
We are all babies that yearn to be cuddled. You are still the child that runs itself into exhaustion and then searches for mom’s calming heartbeat. The woman who gave birth to you may or may not have provided these moments of solace, but the ocean always delivers. Its sound is soothing and constant. It blankets the earth and into it we dive. As we bob, it calms our soul, its qualities centered and powerfully sedate.
One Massive Playground
A visit to the water’s edge is the ultimate amusement park. The beach is like a museum wall where relics are temporarily displayed. There are structured shells, soft sands, smooth rocks, gooey animal carcasses, and the living ones. It is hard to resist the lure of discovery on the shore. Here, the souvenirs are free, unlike at Disney World.
At land’s edge runs the engine of the coast, the ever-present wave. From its birth miles out to sea to its break at the water’s edge, waves are a complicated example of perpetual energy. They bring life to coral reefs and mystify the surfer. Manipulated by the moon in outer space, tides roll in and out like clockwork. These coastal movements reset our inner pendulum. They can ‘pace make’ our heart’s return to healthy rhythms. How refreshing.
Travel by vessel. This matchless privilege is sponsored by earth’s grand highway; the ocean’s surface. Her rippled skin provides limitless freedom for movement. Traversing it makes the journey the destination. The salty canvas’ massive area mixes fear and curiosity into a single cocktail. Travelers that drink the brew taste the latter. The sensation of floating atop earth’s great puddle keeps us yearning for more.
And there is the life we share with creatures born in the watery womb under the surface. A coral reef is surreal. Watching ‘Finding Nemo’ in 3D is entertaining, but finding his real cousin is spiritual. Diving or snorkeling literally takes your breath away. It’s a real-life film, an actual zoo with big animals and no cage in between. You realize you are small and vulnerable. It is not uncommon for people to wet their wetsuit.
Aquatic Ambiance
All of the major feel groups exist in or near the ocean. The sun sets, the moon rises, waves crash, colors peak, winds pass. The orchestrated chaos engenders peace and tranquility.
Please ignore the generic scene of romance in the tropics. Stretch your travel lens to beaches beyond 60 degree latitudes. There, the colors are pastels and landscapes are Zen. You have the cold beach versus the warmth of your companion. Build a bonfire and gaze at the northern lights dancing on the sea. Complete it with a bikini-less dip into the ice-cold water after a butt-naked sauna. How can you resist it? Have faith, dear reader; swap Hawaii for the party near the poles.
We hope this article (re)builds appreciation for the ocean and strengthens the magnetism you have toward her beach, her shore, her surface and her soul. In Homer’s style, the “Ode to Sea”:
Ode to Sea
Friendly Ocean, mecca of soul
Capped by heaven’s toppled bowl
Recount the space of mother’s womb
From which we came to earth
On your chest we crave to lie
Stuck between the earth and sky
Generous you bear our weight
And rock our souls to sleep.
Magnetic charms in salty brine
Pulls the strings of humankind
From angry beast to sweet caress
She tricks or treats by tantrum
Liquid silk, please slow our steps
Shift our minds from past regrets
Tea for two, time spent with her
The Freud-ish couch of healing
A heart that’s void of sentiment
Widowed richly and content
Addict to her mystic self
We long for next reunion.
Seth McMillan
25 December 2013
