The snow storms in Toronto quickly escaped my mind as I boarded the plane, I was headed to the Dominican Republic. Looking down at the ocean from the plane was something my young eyes had not seen before, the crystal clear turquoise water. Even from 30,000 feet in the air, I could spot the small Anemonefish wandering in the water. Not only was it special because it was my first time seeing the ocean, but also because it was my first Christmas with my cousins. The water is where we spent most of our day - swimming, snorkelling, tubing, or jet skiing. On the second day of the trip, there was a huge shark notice that they were supposedly close to shore. Although people were allowed to swim in the shark infested waters, the beach suddenly seemed abandoned. Being the youngest sibling in my gigantic family, I was instantly peer pressured into going into the water. At first, my fears got the best of me, but as time passed, not being near the ocean made me feel dejected. I didn't want some rumours of sharks to ruin my stay in the Dominican Republic. I decided to face my fears and go into the water. A huge wave was approaching and I wanted to hit it, so I ran into the water, my feet sticking to the wet sand. I played in the water for what seemed to be 2 hours, and finally, my siblings joined me. After 7 days passed by in a heart beat, it was time to pack up. I didn't say goodbye because I knew my fondness for the water would bring me back one day.