Around the World and Home Again

The temperature feels comforting on my wet suit; not too warm, and not too cold. The sunlight seeps through the water, landing on two sea stars that are bathing in the light. I kick my flippers as I head deeper through the ocean. To my left and right are colorful images of creatures that seem so unrealistic, I feel like they must truly be mirages. The coral on the marine floor gently sway in the currents like a tender breeze. Schools of fish swiftly swim past me, flashing their bright green, yellow, and orange bodies at me. I kick my flippers again, wishing that I could swim as well as a fish.

The creatures seem to start to evaporate as I depart from the lively waters, into an underwater cave. The light aqua blue colors that once filled the waters around me have now turned into a vibrant, almost neon turquoise shade. Hundreds of rocky underwater stalagmites and stalactites surround me. The light starts to dim as I swim deeper within the mouth of the cave. I turn my underwater flashlight on, and the cave is suddenly illuminated again. I find fish laying low to the sea floor with what look like little lanterns hanging from their heads. Their bodies seem to blend in with the sea floor. Around me, I see very strange fish, which look like they have no eyes, crawling around the sea floor.

I exit through the other end of the underwater cave, and enter the larger part of the vast ocean. I know my stay here will not last much longer. I take one last look at the fish that are doing synchronized swimming, the sea sponges that roll around on the ground laughing, the sea urchins mingling on a rock, at the newborn sea turtles following their mother through the waters, the sting rays floating through the water like they're gliding on air, and at the clownfish playfully hiding in the sea anemones. I take almost a sigh, knowing I will miss the ocean once I'm gone.

I jump out of the water, into the air like a graceful whale, right next to my boat. I climb aboard and gaze over the horizon as we start to drift away. I dream about being a fish and living in the waters forever, not a care about the land, just swimming freely. I dream about being a sea star, sun bathing on a rock, relaxing. I dream of being a dolphin, playing tag as we hop throughout the waters. I dream of being a shark, parading through the ocean like a king traveling through his kingdom.

Good-bye ocean.

Good-bye majestic creatures of the sea.

Shall I return another day, as free as can be?

But until then, around the world and home again; that's the sailor's way.