Cold, dark blue water lapped gently against the sandy beach. Off in the distance, seabirds dove into the ocean, hungrily scooping up fish to devour. Hundreds of umbrellas were scattered across the beach, with people lounging under the scorching sun. The ocean seemed to stretch on forever, as far as the eye could see. Kites flew high in the sky and frisbees were tossed around. Children played in the water and built sand castles, packing sand into intricate shapes. Farther away, surfers rode in on the incoming waves. In the distance, sailboats bounced around on the choppy waters of the Pacific. I stood on the edge of the beach and took it all in.