Ever since I was young, my family vacationed on the Caribbean islands and at beaches around the United States. I grew up spending my vacations on the beach and exploring the ocean. When I became a stronger swimmer, my parents introduced me snorkeling, one of their passions. Off the beach and above the reefs, the views were like no other. I feel in love with the ocean and continued to snorkel with my family every time we went on vacation. In the summer of 2017, my family took a trip to Belize, which is one of the most well-known scuba diving / snorkeling capitals in the world. We snorkeled all week and visited some incredible locations where we got to swim along wild stingrays, sharks, and sea turtles. It was so amazing to see these incredible creatures from snorkeling on the surface and it only left me longing to be able to swim alongside them even more. The following winter, my dad and I made the decision to get scuba certified so that we could explore the underwater world even closer than we ever had before. Now that I am scuba certified, I see every trip I take as an opportunity to explore my passion for the ocean. I have dived in seven different countries, and each time I am constantly amazed by the secrets of the underwater world. Whether it is a giant shark swimming along the reef looking for its prey, a group of shrimp hiding in a tiny cave, or even the fields of brilliantly colored coral that seems to disappear into the depths of the ocean, I am constantly drawn back to the sea.