My father worked as a sea captain aboard supertankers.
My brother, my mother, and I would often join him on his voyages, travelling to places we could only have dreamed of visiting otherwise. My first trip was in 1980, and our last trip was in 1990, when we visited Italy, France, Turkey, and Greece.
We sailed up the Amazon River, and in Manaus, I even had the unforgettable experience of going aboard a submarine. My brother and I would stay up late on the bridge many nights, watching the stars and looking out for passing ships.
There were so many moments that stayed with me. Seeing the point where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Watching dolphins swim alongside the ship as if bidding us farewell. The excitement of approaching a port, and then the feeling of leaving it behind. The smell of the ocean. The taste of the salty air.
I miss all of it.
We crossed the Atlantic twice aboard the same ship, and those voyages became some of the most unforgettable experiences of my childhood.
Those enormous oil tankers, the vast Atlantic Ocean, and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea will always hold a special place in my heart and soul.
This is a small tribute to the sea, and those wonderful times that I will carry with me forever.