5:10 AM. It’s still dark and a little cold depending on the day but it’s the kind of cold that is refreshing. The world is still asleep but I am very awake. I burry my feet in the sand and it blocks the wind out. I wait for the sun to catch up to me and look across the horizon. I see distant figures, but the sleep of the night still holds my view hostage.

5:30 AM. The sun is now waking up and painting the sky purple and pink and orange and red. I wait with a board in hand to touch the ocean for the first time today. I see the soft waves now. They’re quiet, not wanting to wake anyone up. The white water catches my feet but I wait to go in. Nobody is around, it’s just me and the ocean. I feel comfortable and warm inside. The sunrise is mine and I don’t have to share with anyone else.

6:00 AM. Sitting in the water letting soft waves roll past me. Now is a good time to start, with nobody else around but the ocean is too gentle to disrupt. The sky is waking up with more orange than purple now. I can see the sun and the blue of space with white puffs of clouds.

7:00 AM. I’m back on the sand and feel it heating below my feet. The warmth of the light sun is just enough to dry me. I’ve been awake for hours while everyone else is still fast asleep. I am happy that I get the ocean to myself for a little. Tourists will start compiling soon and my tranquility will be disturbed. I don’t mind though.

7:30 AM. I head home for some breakfast. Maybe some cereal or a banana. I check the weather to see what I’m in for. Walk to the deck and bring my book. It’s still peaceful and calm. I see a few joggers and even bikers on the boulevard. The park across the street is about to be littered with children and parents and dogs and grandparents and anyone looking to stretch their legs. The day has barely begun.

8:00 AM. I’ve finished my breakfast and reside to bed. I need sleep for more than five hours. I set my alarm for 10, careful not to miss the sunniest part of the day.

10:15 AM. I’m back on the beach, this time accompanied by my group of childhood friends. We move from the sand to the water every half hour or so and its relaxed and easy to be with them. The beach gets populated by the minute but it’s nice to see what new faces this week brings. The renters rotate weekly, leaving new prey for our curious eyes.

12:00 PM. The group heads to my house for lunch. It’s the shortest walk by far and I make a mean sandwich. We quickly prepare and devour, pausing only to talk about how much we love summer and the island. Beach time is precious and the sun waits for nobody. The rays are strong at this hour, and it’s prime time for getting a nice summer glow.

12:30 PM. Back on the beach. Sea to land to ocean to sand. The rotation is nonstop until our legs are tired and our lungs are salty. I take a nap and hope to catch up on the hours of sleep I’ve missed. The waves are a steady beat to the songs of my friends’ words. The lullaby puts me to sleep.

2:00 PM. I’m awake again. My friends are still together and it’s nice. The dunes are now scorching to the step but the ocean is a cool refresher. My body feels baked from laying in the heat. We remain on the beach until much after the lifeguards. We just sit and talk about everything. We’ve known each other for more than ten years but there has yet to be a dull moment.

6:00 PM. We resentfully return to our homes to take showers. My skin is warm from the sun and freckles begin to appear on my arms. I bike to my grandparents’ down the street. The sun is still up but not as bright. The day will be over before I know it.

8:00 PM. Dinner is done and the cousins have dispersed. Soccer is being played in the street in front of the house by all my cousins. We laugh and pass and use the distant sun as our light source. The mosquitos barely hurt anymore and the adrenaline has awhile before it wares off.

9:00 PM. The younger cousins have gone to bed and the older ones have found adventure of their own, but the rest head to the beach. We sit and talk and catch up on all that we have missed during the school year. Our Italian mass of 26 is down to about 10. The moon is our only light but we use it for hours.

11:59 PM. I’ve headed home on my blue cruiser and think about the day I’ve had. The island is my home and it’s safe. The beach protects me and the days of summer are forever etched in my memory.

12:00 AM. The cycle continues.