The Taste of Sea Salt

Prologue

Sun, Salt, Sweat, Sea and Sunblock. The five things my summer is going to be filled with. This year was going to be different. I was going to dedicate myself to getting out as much as I could. While also working hard at my job and earning money to fund the best and last summer I will be spending home for the next wee while. I am finally 18, finally finished high school and finally leaving home. I was not born here in Wayale or in New Zealand in general but I have spent majority of my life here and really if I am being honest, it's home to me.

It's been a hard year. I've had to deal with the stress of school, sports, work and my social life. Somehow as I look back on it, i can see that it was actually worth it. Now I have nearly four months to do nothing but work and and explore the ocean. My best Friend Abby and I have been planning this summer pretty much since we started high school. Her Aunt owns a bach right in front of the beach which she is letting us live in for free for the whole summer. We could've happily stayed in our own houses with our parents but it was our first real chance and a tester really to see how independent we could be.

My boyfriend Daniel was also thankfully going to be around this summer as well. We'd been dating for nearly a year and at the end of this summer he was following me across the world. We were going to go to Africa, Zambia to be specific and work at an elephant orphanage sanctuary. My stepmum hails from Zambia and lives only about an hour from the orphanage and she managed to get us a spot to volunteer. We were going to stay with her and commute each day to work.

For the next three months. Abby was going to work as a lifeguard most days while Daniel and I worked at the Garden and Produce centre. I've worked at the Garden Centre for the past four years and since it's summer they needed an extra hand and Daniel got the job. We all coordinated so that on most of our days off lined up together. Abby and I wrote a list over the past few years of everything we wanted to do before we left this little beach town. My mum said that if I actually manage to finish the huge list, she will help fund my trip at the end of summer.

Most of my other friends would be here as well. Abby and I were even considering allowing a third person to stay with us and we would be able to take down the price of the utilities. We haven't decided yet though. Its hard because over the time that me and Abby have been best friends we have pretty much been a unit, we share the same friend group of course but within that we were still rock solid. Daniel was a no go because his contract on the property he's staying in doesn't run out till a few weeks before the end of Summer. Once that runs out he's going to leave the tiny one bedroom flat and bunk with me.

All i know, is this summer is going to be the best no matter what. Nothing is going to ruin that for me.

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Hello to anyone who might stumble across and read this. I decided to give writing a shot as Ive been a dedicated reader on this site for years. Really If no one reads this its okay because I understand how good it feels to write. I have an idea for how this book is going to go and its my goal to actually finish it. Im excited and happy to form this character Eden. A lot of the inspiration for this story comes from my previous summers and my sudden realisation that January to March next year is going to actually be my last summer in my beach town. I hope that my Summer follows along Edens.

I hope you enjoy

Much Love ADKP