Whether it is the deep swells of azure blue in Hawai’i, the teasing turquoise of a tropical lagoon, or the curling blue waves that crash in foamy white on the shore in Malibu, I am drawn to water. Water is my element. Eighty percent of the earth’s surface is covered with the stuff. Our bodies are composed of 80% water. Is it any wonder that when I enter the ocean I feel like I am coming home? In the embrace of the sea my mind is set free. The weight of muscle and bone are lifted and I move effortlessly buoyed in the arms of the Big Blue. Sounds from the shore become muffled and all I hear are my own thoughts. I am cocooned from all that is happening in the outside world while cradled in the loll of the swells. When I first enter the ocean at the pier in Malibu, I feel a tingling sensation that shoots through the top of my head. It takes my breath away, but I know in 60 seconds I will be acclimated. After the initial shock, the sensation is invigorating waking my whole body from a deep sleep. I’m not a strong swimmer so I never let my guard down and keep an eye out for mounting swells that come in sets of seven. I am afraid of the power and heft of the monster waves as they lift me, but then they roll on to pound onto the shore and I am at peace again.