As a little girl, I always wanted to be a mermaid. You see, my love for the ocean started at an early age being an island girl and all. I don’t remember a time where I ever feared the ocean. From the moment we arrived at the beach, till the moment we left, I was in the water. I loved to swim out past the sandbar. I distinctly remember the change in temperature when I reached the part when I knew I couldn’t touch. I would dive and dive and dive some more. In search of what, I am not quite sure. With all the chaos in my childhood, the beach was that one place where I could truly escape.

When I saw this little piece by local artist Elle Foley, I knew it had to be mine. My favorite childhood memories. A mermaid. That was me.