My memory of the beach is not like typical beach memories.  I've been from coast to coast (California to Florida but not very north) and still only once have I been to the true ocean.  Specifically the Pacific Ocean.  
I was in...kindergarten?  I was making the trip with my grandmother (my mom got so teared up as I left) by plane.  Three planes in fact, and from what I was told, I struck up conversations with every person I met. The clouds, the fields, the tiny cars and buildings. I loved every minute of the trip so far.  I remember being told by grandmother that we were going on a trip, the word Disney registered and then I couldn't grasp any more of what she said no matter how many times she repeated it.  So really, I had no idea what was going to happen on the trip.  
But anyways, I was talking about the beach wasn't I?  Well people always like to describe their day at the beach or the way they describe a beach as warm and sunny.  Which is true, for most of the time/year.  But I had gone in April, and in the pictures taken of me one can see that I still pants and sweaters.  Beaches are wonderful, lots and lots of shells to pick up and save.  Sadly, over the years, I have lost my bounty of sand dollars I had brought back home with me.  
The beach was cold and windy and the clouds made everything look grey and bleak.  I could see surfers (I was told they were lifeguards???) on those giant waves which looked very rough and I wondered very seriously if there were any sharks that could possibly be around during all this.  There were no other beach goers.  So now you can imagine a beach that is cold, grey, bleak, and very windy.  I looked out at the waves as they seemed to jump into the air with ferocious energy and tried to look beyond the pearly foam.  
Then I was distracted by the cold spray of the waves to care much anymore.  I ran along the shore squealing while my aunt and uncle chatted with my grandmother.  Everyone collected shells.  Eventually it got to the point where I had rolled up my jeans and was running in the water, letting my self get drenched knees down.  Then suddenly a wave caught me by surprise and I landed face first into the cold itchy sand.  My family ran to me with exclamations of concern, probably expecting me to come up crying when instead I came up spitting, laughing, and smiling.  I loved the waves, the beach, the new experience I was having.  I would love to go back to the sea again even if afterwards I would be dealing with salty wet clothes and irritated skin.