It was the first exotic location ventured; I was fresh off my sophomore year of college. A remote Island in the South Pacific. No electricity on the Island and none for at least an hour plane ride away. Crystal bright blue waters with unbelievable visibility. New moon so there were just stars in the sky. The smell of sandal wood and ferns in the air. Coconut palms stretching out over the sand. A soft breeze kissing the skin. The stars were so bright you could read a book by starlight. Almost every minute you could see a shooting star. They were so thick it was difficult to differentiate specific stars. They appeared to dome over the water without a break leading me to understand for the first time why anyone would ever get the idea that the earth was flat. The water was warm and the surf was soft. In-between the waves I could look down, waste deep in the water and see my toes. Taking a gentle swim out into the ocean not knowing what it held but easily seeing the teaming life below. Back on the beach lying on my back unable to sleep because the beauty was so breathtaking I couldn’t imagine that moment ever occurring again. That night I was alone on the beach I never felt so small in fact at the cellular level the ocean and the sky had never seemed so big. Yet that night I experienced something that made me feel that I was one of the most privileged to have been able to experience beauty that was so all encompassing. I was acutely aware of every sense I possessed. Almost unable to process all the stimulation yet probably the most calm and at peace that had overcome me. Without having slept a wink that night as I watch the sunrise I was completely rested and at peace. I spent close to 4 months on that Island and while the first night was the most special everyone after that was as beautiful as the next. It was two days before I finally slept.