I’ve experienced a particular magic that is very difficult to describe, and it happened to me regularly while surfing this spot at sunset, on days when there was just enough haze in the atmosphere to blend the pastel colors of sea and sky seamlessly into one another to such an extent that distinctions themselves felt meaningless… in fact the difference between me, bobbing gently amongst all that wonder, and the vast expanse itself seemed to disappear entirely.
This song — and even the lyrics, which I finally “got” after playing the song over and over on trips to and from the Buddhist Centre — evokes a similar feeling for me. The internets claim that the artist herself now lives and surfs in this same small town, so I like to imagine it’s her I captured in the photograph above exactly two years ago today.
pacific is bigger / than I ever knew / until I got in her / and the water it moved / yeah it moved me / and if I was frightened / out there on the shore / well I had good reasons / but I don’t anymore / yeah it moved me / there’s nowhere to go where the earth doesn’t quake / it moved me
Lyrics (c) Kelly McFarling [source]
Elizabeth Ü 
I have been listening to this on repeat like a 12-year-old since I read your beautiful article yesterday and clicked play. I can feel the ocean in it. I also saw in an old publication you wrote about a Billy Collins poem when I was rooting around in your old blog and it made me think of this:
My father played it for me in my garden when I was talking to him about my children and how raising them is hard work. I hope you are well. Thanks for all this.
Oh I love this so much, and even more I love that your father knew of it, and played it for you in the garden! I sent it straight to my mother, as you sent it to me on her birthday ❤ …and I will send you back another poem momentarily xoxo