People around the world have local knowledge that can save their lives. As a Canadian and an American, I know how to deal with bears, wolves, skunks, and other animals. Don’t leave food out when camping, pick up trash, don’t wander around near their territory, don’t touch them or their cubs - and all the other little rules that you get taught as you grow up.

There is a soft aroma of burnt wood and sea salt swirling around me, like how the ocean itself swirls. I smell a faint aroma of sunscreen, probably from the hours we spent on the white sand beach. In this moment, we are in a complete state of happiness. The sound of crashing waves softly wafts from over the dunes.

One day, my family decided to go to a new church for mass. We were all excited for the new experience as we drove down in the perfect sunny breezy day to Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel in a nice cheery big town thriving with people, to the gorgeous building bursting with color, near the nicely trimmed lawn and neatly drawn parking spaces.