Sand in (between) my toes, wind in my hair, sun in my eyes, and salt on my tongue--beach life is pretty spectacular. Even better than being at the beach, though, is getting to be at it for an entire week with the whole family, including my two older sisters. We were tucked away on Sylt, a little island in the north sea off the coast of Germany, with no internet and only each other's company for entertainment. It was just what I needed, and was worth missing that one train and the sprained ankle and the sore muscles and all that stuff that life throws at you. I slept in the cutest room you ever did see with my older sisters, sandwiched on a cot right between them, and I couldn't think of anything better. It's always such a treat to spend time with them after having to be apart from them for so dang long all the time. There were fierce games of scrabble, late nights spent talking, days where the only plan was to go to the beach, night walks along the shore, and memories made every time you turned around.

And then there was the ocean. I hadn't been to a proper one since 2004--how does this land-locked Oklahoma girl go about describing the ocean? One of my favorite things about it is the unpredictability. I thrive off of the days where the clouds hang low, mingling with the big crashing waves, and the next day, where the horizon is sharper than a knife and the sky as clear as could be. It's exhilarating to walk along the shore in the spray of salt, feeling the wind tangling your hair and not caring, and getting soaked by a wave that strayed out of its proper place. I liked standing where the waves break and feeling the currents suck at my sandy feet, the water always tirelessly surging forward to greet the sand no matter how often it gets pushed back. There's a lonely, yet comforting beauty in the way the waters never cease to rest, no matter who does or doesn't look on.

We got back to my grandparent's house late last night and we sat in the living room eating cold pizza and swapping stories and I don't ever want to leave this place. Why is it that I miss everything but home?

In time, I may share more about our trip, but right now, most of the memories are still too fresh and close to my heart to properly display. For now, here are a few of the hundreds of frames I took...enjoy.