A Taste for Travel

Jagger has been OBSESSED with the ocean his whole life. Born in and raised in two landlocked states his obsession was largely academic. At 2 he knew more ocean animals than most adults (a fact he proved famously at his second birthday party beating all the adults at marine trivia). When he turned 3 he finally got a chance to see it in San Francisco… he slept through the whole beach day. So this love affair remained a long distance relationship through books, movies, documentaries and board games. Until he turned 10 and we hit the road on our first Worldschooling adventure to Kauai Hawaii and he FINALLY got to see it for real. This picture was one I took of that first moment. We got off the plane, tired and ready to rest in our condo. This could not wait. His dad unloaded the luggage and I agreed to take him down to our local beach. However, not before explaining that it was a high surf beach, not for swimming and with a nasty rip. He was still fully dressed from the plane and he could put his feet in, but for now, that was it. Well….

My typically risk-averse kiddo ran straight in. All the way in. Fully clothed and totally full of joy.

Jagger leapt at the ocean, arms flung wide as if he could give the whole thing a giant hug. Then he swam back to a mom who was completely in shock, (he always follows safety instructions!) laughing and screaming, “It’s salty!!!” He knew about salt water and I was raised on the ocean so it never occurred to me how shocking the taste in his mouth would be.

Meeting Big Blue in person would be the highlight of his life so far; and for me, a moment of absolute bliss and wonder to watch him fall in love with it all over again.

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