Chirp, Chirp! I woke up to the birds and it was so early that the sun wasn't even awake yet. I ran into the kitchen and saw our giant blue cooler sitting by the door, which meant it was finally beach day! First, I helped pack the car with my boogie board, my sand buckets, and my favorite goggles. It was a tight squeeze with all our chairs and umbrellas and was like a game of Tetris. After, we finally buckled in and pulled out of the driveway while the sky was still turning pink.

As we hopped onto the highway, I watched the trees zoom past like green blurs. I tried to count all the red cars I saw, but I got distracted thinking about the giant hole I’m going to dig in the sand. My dad says we have two hours to go, which feels like a million years, but I can already imagine the smell of the salty air and the feeling of the cold waves on my toes. Meanwhile, my brother is sleeping next to me and all I can hear is him snoring. 

Suddenly, the car slowed down and I smelled something amazing. It wasn't the ocean yet, it was the smell of salty French fries! We pulled into a rest stop to stretch our legs. My brother finally woke up, looking grumpy with messy hair, while I hopped out of the car and did a little dance on the sidewalk. I looked at the big blue sky and felt the sun getting even hotter on my shoulders.

Next, we got back on the road for the final stretch. The trees started to disappear, and soon I could see tall seagrass and sandy dunes out the window. I rolled my window down all the way, and a big gust of wind blew my hair everywhere. I didn't care though, because I could finally see a tiny sliver of bright blue water sparkling in the distance. "I see it! I see the ocean!" I cheered, pointing as hard as I could.

Finally, Dad turned the car into the gravel parking lot, and the tires made a loud crunching sound. As soon as the car stopped, I grabbed my yellow shovel and my boogie board. I ran across the hot sand as fast as I could until my toes hit the freezing, foamy water. The drive felt like it took forever, but standing there with the waves splashing my knees, I knew it was going to be the best day ever.