I have a sixth sense attuned to the sea and wind. It is a wonderful thing to be able to point out North, South, East, and West without the slightest aid. I can always sense where the ocean is when it is out of sight (and will usually be found staring in that direction when I am bored). I can identify and differentiate wind and current lines on the water with only a glance. When I mention that I am a sailor to my friends, their minds usually conjure up images of boats cruising around on a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the bay for a few hours. In my case, I have been competitively racing sailboats all over the world for over eight years of my life. Sailing is a sport that has given me maturity and independence beyond my years. …show more content…
I have been out in the middle of the ocean during hurricanes where my only instinct was to survive. In the Virgin Islands I have been able to look down through the crystal clear water and see great colorful reefs and then look up and see the sheer majesty of vertical cliff-face extending hundreds of feet into the sky. I have had a 12-foot bull shark come within inches of my boat. I have laid my eyes upon the deep blue water and black sand beaches of a volcanic lake surrounded by verdant trees that seemed to stretch past the clouds. When people ask me why I sail a specific quote said by Keating from the Dead Poets Society comes to mind “medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive