My alarm awoke me at 5:30am whilst it was still quite dark outside. The sun had yet to creep upon the horizon, and the birds, the wind and the town were all still fast asleep. I changed out of my pajamas and into a pair of floral board shorts and a baggy tank top. I then scurried onto the backyard lawn to wax the favorite of my many surfboards laying on the grass, moist with morning dew. My body was engulfed in the refreshing air, infused with the aromas of the salty ocean nearby, and the mango trees that my mother nurtures in our backyard. The mango trees, amongst other foliage like frangipanis and birds of paradise, all surrounded me and watched closely as I meticulously waxed my board. Once I’d finished, I made my way to the ocean just down the street, with my surfboard in hand and skateboard rolling underneath my bare feet. Just as I reached the beach, I kicked up my wheels and let my toes hit the silky sand. The sky was slightly brighter now, with a magnificent shade of sapphire blue that transitioned into a strip of delicious orange as the nervous sun’s glistening eyes took their first hesitant peek over the horizon, illuminating the water. Four of my best mates were sitting on the sand beside their boards, awaiting my arrival. We hit the water and surfed for hours as dawn turned to day, and the sun slowly crept higher and higher into the sky.