Saltwater & Starfishes: A Birthday to Remember

This year, I chose the ocean. Not for answers, not even for peace—just for the feeling of being surrounded by something bigger than me, something blue and wild and full of life.

We rented a van (birthday perks), because the beach was a bit of a drive and honestly… I didn’t want to worry about anything that day. I just wanted to be present—with my family, with my boyfriend, with the little things that make a birthday feel like more than just a number.

We booked a floating cottage, and from the moment we stepped onto it, it felt like time slowed down. The waves gently rocked us into a soft rhythm—one that I think we all needed.

We had three stops:
A calm sandbar where the world felt open and endless.
A ten-foot deep spot that I somehow got the courage to jump into—even though I can’t swim (thank you, life vest).
And my favorite one: the place with the starfishes.

There was something so childlike and magical about that moment. I touched them gently, my fingertips brushing over their soft, cool surface. I couldn’t stop smiling. They were so still, so delicate, like tiny reminders from nature to slow down and appreciate what’s in front of you.

We grilled fish and squid on the floating cottage. The smell of charcoal, the sound of laughter, the salt in the air—it all came together like a quiet symphony. We ate, we laughed, we took way too many photos. It was simple. It was enough.

And when the day came to a close, when we were sun-kissed and tired and a little salty from the sea, we waited for midnight. My birthday. We didn’t do anything extravagant, just counted down like kids waiting for New Year’s, smiles on our faces, hearts full.

There’s a certain kind of magic in birthdays that feel like this—surrounded by love, held by the sea, touched by something deeper than celebration. A reminder that even if life isn’t always perfect, there are moments that feel close.

This was one of those moments and I’ll carry it with me.