I drove six hours to check into my new luxury resort, only for the front desk clerk to toss a keycard at my feet.

glass doors and opened them. The sound of the Pacific rushed in immediately—vast, raw, and alive.

Wind swept across the balcony, carrying salt and pine. It cooled the lingering heat still sitting beneath my skin.

I stepped outside and approached the glass railing.

Below me, the ocean crashed violently against the rocks, sending white spray into the air.continue reading …