The first time I was truly in awe was when I was 15. It was spring break of 2013, and I was on a road trip along the Oregon coast with my dad and brother. We stopped at many different beaches along the way, but the one that stood out to me the most was at the end of the trip, at a barely visible turnoff on the road. I have always loved exploring, so I had begged my dad to pull over in hopes of finding a secret beach. The excitement kicked in as we climbed over the ridge. I had never seen a more beautiful place in my life. There were huge ridges surrounding an elevated pathway, and the light filtered through the clouds in a way that left beams of light dotted along the landscape. The ocean below was clear and teal, and I could hear nothing but
