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We used to visit St David's all the time when I was young. I don't know why we stopped. Perhaps for my parents and their friends it had started to feel samey, but not for me and the other kids. When you're young even somewhere so close to home feels like a paradise. I could still remember the sound of crashing waves on the beach at Whitesands Bay, and how tall they seemed. I could remember looking left and looking right, and seeing the sand go on forever and ever. I could recall the towering cliffs and the seaweed floating in the rock pools and how the salt smelled in the air. I could hear the gulls soaring above me. We used to have campfires on the cliffs when I was little. All day we would run through the tall grass at the back of the beach, searching for the perfect wood and sticks to mount our marshmallows on. Sometimes our parents would let us stop at what we called the "Mega pool": a giant rock pool so deep you could swim in it. The seaweed would sway with the force of our kicking legs in a pool so still and clear you could see the crabs scuttling on the bottom of the rocks. When the night fell and the stars came out, we would make our way up to the bluff over looking the beach and light our fire. We could see the silhouettes of the paddle boarders against the orange sky, and everything would stop. We would sit around and tell stories, roast our marshmallows and I would fall asleep in my Fathers arms, and each time when I woke up, I would be back in the tent with no idea how I got there. I missed those stories, the kind that brought you so much peace you could fall asleep instantly. I couldn't forget the stories when I stood in front of my friends at our University Graduation. Taking the cap off of her head, my friend Poppy said "Now we're free, where do we go?". It's something we'd been thinking about for weeks. We knew we were students: tired, lacking money, but excited to see what came next. I could only think of one place. "We could go camping in Wales." I suggested, and began to tell my own stories. Before long we had agreed. The next day we packed up our cars and off we went. The day we arrived was hot. It was the middle of a heatwave, but still the campsite over looking the beach was empty. It was smaller than I remembered. We didn't waste time and before long our tents were set up, and we headed down to the beach. Wading into the sea, the gentle waves lapped up against my hips. The water seemed still and quiet, not wild and loud like I remembered. It took a while, but finally I exhaled. For the first time in months, I felt as calm as the water. I looked across to see my friends standing still, their reflections glistening. I like to think they had exhaled too. Later, we made our way up to the bluff. We lit our fire and sat around telling our own stories. We played music and danced and drank wine, and finally felt the next chapter beginning. The sky turned pink and then black as night fell over the beach again, just like it used to. On a whim, we ran to the sea, throwing our clothes in the air as we ran, and let the water swallow us. We were carefree. That week was one of the greatest of my life. I went looking for the feelings those memories used to bring me but what I saw and felt was different. I found what I needed, although I didn't know what it was when we set off. Standing in the Mega Pool, I looked out over the ocean. It went on forever. I didn't expect to find something new, I still believe that it found me. Perhaps it was hiding there all along, just waiting for me to return with fresh eyes.