I love the smell of the Sea and the salt air. There is nothing like a sweet ocean breeze on my face or filling up my lungs. It reminds me of my youth when I was a sailor in duty for my country. The memories of adventure and the South Pacific islands, ooh the memories.

Today I live in a land locked state, but I escape to the ocean and sea shore every chance I can. Like most Americans I live where there is work. While there is some work near the coast, the most affordable housing regions are inland. The only good things about that are the lower costs and of course protection from the hurricanes that hit every year.

I love heading towards the coast after a hurricane. That is when the air is the freshest and most enjoyable. I can also lend a hand in the cleanup from the wake of devastation that sometimes occurs. It is good to help others who live there. It was just the way I was raised, to help others.

Each year I also try to visit an island somewhere in the world. While my favorites are still in the South Pacific, I cannot always afford to vacation there or the time to travel there. To help curb my cravings for the islands I decorate my home with an ocean theme. This makes it possible to escape to those lovely far away places each day when I come home from another grueling day at work. This way I can relax and forget about what transpired at work.

Each piece of decoration I have gives me a different memories when I gaze upon them. Signs just mentioning the beach seem to bring a spring to my step even when my legs are tired after work. It is all about the way one views visual input that matters, not the actual surroundings they are in. This is what is so great about all of the memories I have and why the smell of the fresh ocean breeze is so enjoyable for me.

One of the places I like to visit in my home is the tropical bar I have set up and decorated similar to one I use to frequent in the South Pacific. While the ocean breeze is not present, I have a mural that depicts the scene. I even have a nice supply of Tropical theme wine glasses and shot glasses and cute cocktail napkins to complete the theme. My bar is the next best thing to actually being near the sea to help me relax and enjoy life more. Someday I will move next to the ocean. Until then I will just have to use my imagination and memories to help me relax in my time away while at home.