It seems to me like I was born in the Mediterranean Sea. My early childhood was spent in this oasis along the shores of Beirut in Lebanon. Beach days spent with family seemed endless then, when we were lucky enough to live in a country with 300 days of sunshine a year! The sea was a respite from the strong sun scorching the sandy beach. The sea is where I learned to swim - my dad took me out and threw me in, in the direction of my mom who was waiting for me a metre away. "Swim", he said, so I did. Perhaps it was the salty sea that helped keep me afloat, but it seemed like swimming was second nature to me. The Lagon Ski Club was a favourite hangout with my family. Play in the sand, swim in the sea, watch the water skiers, and repeat. Over and over again. I was never bored. Collecting shells, jumping the waves, building sand castles, burying myself in the warmth of the sand, and then trying to rinse it off in the salty sea was my favourite pastime.

The paradise of the Mediterranean Sea was in sharp contrast to the civil war that erupted shortly after, leading my family to immigrate to Canada. While the Pacific Ocean on this continent still drew me in, it took a lot of getting used to to be able to swim in this cold body of water. Despite the temperature, the draw of the ocean - its sounds, its smells, and the memories it brings - always succeeds in bringing me in, even if for a few moments.

In my travels over the years I have swum in many oceans, but none has the peace and the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, when I went back a number of years ago, the remnants of the war, the growing population, and the careless attitude of locals and tourists alike who treated my paradise as a garbage can altered my memories of peace and warmth. As I look around now at the growing problem of pollution in the oceans worldwide, I wonder if it is because so few were as lucky as I to have been born and raised in the sea. I have respect for the sea because I lived in it, it was my childhood home, and I am eternally grateful for the solace, the serenity, the inspiration, and the experiences it provided me. It nourished my soul, and I could never bring myself to treat it with disrespect.

The problem of ocean pollution, and plastics in particular, is now coming to the forefront. With this exposure, I see signs of a potential change in course - new technology, including bio-technology, is being developed to help clean up the ocean. People are coming together to restore bodies of water and its shores. Education and activism are being promoted to bring further awareness to this life-threatening issue. It is my hope that we as a society learn from our mistakes, and that we continue to find ways to restore our oceans to the havens they once were.