Nature Journal – descriptive essay

Nature Journal
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Sunrise
It was on a Saturday morning, and the beach was slowly coming to life. One could hear chitchats from people, mostly business owners that were preparing the beach for the busy day ahead. I had waited anxiously for the day when I would have a first-hand experience of the magnificent sunrises at the beach. Finally, the day had come. I woke up early to catch the sun rising with the hope that the clouds would not disguise the dawn. The bright morning sky allowed me to have a spectacular view of the beautiful phenomenon. Majority of the people holidaying on the beach had not made their way outside yet. I met one of the dog owners and a friendly man that was already working on the beach. The man offered his warm greetings as he raked the sand to prepare the beach for the busy day ahead. I observed dawn patrol police officers changing shifts under the crisp air.
One of the police officers was kind and more than willing to offer any assistance to ensure that I had a pleasant experience on the beach. I smelled the silhouette of seagulls and coffee being prepared in the corner shop in the early morning as the sky slowly turned blue. I took off my shoes to have a feeling of the cold and wet sand squeezing its way between my toes before strolling along the shore and waterline. The ocean appeared relaxed as if its waters were also ushering in the new day. Suddenly, the morning breeze touched my face. I stopped, listened, smelled, and breathed it all in.

On the other side of the beach, I could see the preserved patches of rainforest. As I dipped my feet into the Atlantic Ocean, I could not stop wondering what a fantastic beauty the skyline was.
Midday
I made my way to the beach for the second time. Activities at the beach had taken an entirely new twist. The entire beach was buzzing with activity as people surfed on the waters as others shouted the names of the products that they were selling. The seemingly cold sand in the morning had become hot until I felt it burning my feet. My instinct told me to move away from the crowd to the other side of the beach where there were few people. Only a few garden umbrellas were evident on the beach to shield people from the scorching rays of the sun. Being in the summer, the beach was welcoming and presented the perfect conditions for surfing. The blazing sun seemed to awaken the rather calm ocean waters and beach, as I felt a heat wave drive me in the direction of the ocean.
At the same time, I felt the cold water when I stepped into the shallow areas of the beach thus experiencing the mixed feeling of simultaneous hot and cold sensations. For a moment, I experienced the battle of blazing fire and water in my body. The battle resulted in the concurrent arousal of joy and fear (Gumenick, 1997). When I stepped out of the cold waters onto the moistened sand, I felt the sense of neediness and emptiness as I remembered the day when I visited the beach under the care of my parents. As a young child, I did not have any worries or fear about anything as I derived the confidence from their existence. However, I understood that the situation was not the same on this day. Occupying the place of my parents was the cold waters that worked so hard to prevent the fiery heat waves from scorching my skin. As I sat under one of the parasols, the cold breeze and the warming effect of the sand under my feet created a relaxation effect that I had never felt before.
Evening
A combination of good food and warm weather contributed towards making my evening on the beach spectacular. Watching the sunset was my primary objective for the evening. From the beach, one could have a clear view of the horizon. As the sun made its way down the horizon, the sunset was slowly turning into a sensory experience worth reckoning. In the waters, some people were still surfing. Others had already retreated to their rooms. The ocean mirrored the yellowing sky as the sunset gradually crept in. On one of the few occasions that I drifted my attention away from the sky, I noticed a young couple holding each other on the beach. As they strolled on the beach, the rhythmic and synchronized movements of their bodies were reminiscent of the emotion of joy that ruled their relationship.
The setting sun bathed the entire landscape in a luminescent harmony of blues, pinks, and peaches. To me, the perfect blend of colors during the sunset was unexplainable. The magnificent sunset exhibited a romantic component that left me gazing in awe. The weather conditions were ideal in the evening thereby making the experience more spectacular. The optimum temperature and mild winds were crucial to the panoramic view of the sky as the day slowly ushered in the night. Before I could think of retreating to my room, one of the patrol guards approached me with a caring voice and instructed me to go for dinner and move to my room. The words of the guard resembled the caring voice of my mother as she told me to get into the house whenever darkness crept in. For sure, it was a moment and experience that I will live to remember for years to come.
Reference
Gumenick, N. (1997). Cycles: Summer-Tending our Fire. The Institute of Classical Five-Element Acupuncture Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.5elements.com/docs/elements/fire.html