The night before I moved from Maryland, my family and I took one last "trip" (we lived two minutes away) to our little beach. This place had been a sanctuary for me- it was a quiet place where I spent a lot of my time, a place where I felt safe and comfortable being alone. I loved walking up and down the beach- watching the waves come in and out, digging up handfuls of sand and sifting through to find shark teeth and sea glass, just being in the moment with no worry of the future or past.
As we explored the beach it started to rain, and not just a drizzle- it poured. But no one cared. We kept enjoying our time there and even stopped to talk to our neighbors that were out for a run. At one moment, I turned to see my niece was twirling, soaking in and thoroughly enjoying every minute of this downpour. It is one of the most memorable moments I have of my time in Maryland and it was the perfect way to say goodbye- as if the sky itself was sending me off with precious tears from above.