We had been traveling the open sea for weeks now. We set out on this voyage in hopes of a new life. We’d been through many countries. Our people were nomads. We lived off of whatever land we inhabited.

Our last home was south of Asia. We stayed for nearly two months before we decided to depart. It was a beautiful time while it lasted. I’ll never forget the smell of spices in the air, the tall trees, mountains and temples. The locals had quite an exotic culture.

I had gained so much appreciation for each culture I engulfed myself in. The groups and I developed a mutual respect for one another. We were different people, yet we lived together in harmony. Many times, civilians opened up their homes for us to stay. They took us in like family and treated us as such.

I traveled with my two brothers. They were just as open to the lifestyle as I was. Our parents died when we were young, not too long after we were born. My aunt and uncle raised us. If there was one thing they taught us, it was to be open to the world and its endless possibilities. We left home when we were teenagers and have been traveling around the world since. None of us had a plan as to where our next destination would be. It was whatever land we landed on next. Whatever land we saw in the distance of our ship, that’s where we’d head.

Just when we thought we had seen the whole world, there was always more. There was always the fear that we’d reach the edge of the earth, but it seemed as though it continued on for forever.

Our uncle gave us this ship. It held up well over the years. No matter how many storms it went through, it was still intact and floating.

Tonight, there was another storm. The moon and stars were nowhere to be seen. Clouds masked the sky. Rain began to pour from above, and the wind swooped with a brutal force. The waves of the ocean towered above the ship and slammed onto the deck. Our ship rocked back and forth violently. The three of us went below the deck in a cabin area. In the cabin, we had food and drink from our last home. We cracked jokes and shared memories from our recent travels. It might have been hell outside, but inside we had the company of one another. It was warming.

Morning came. I slowly opened my eyes. I had fallen asleep on my brother’s shoulder.

Something felt off. The ship felt stable for some reason, like it wasn’t moving. I shook my two brothers awake, and we all headed out of the cabin. What we saw had us in disbelief. It was true that we weren’t moving anymore. We were barely in the water anymore.

Our ship landed right into a sandy shore with clear blue water surrounding it. Palm trees hung over the railing of the ship. The island looked like a decent size. However, it appeared abandoned or, rather, untouched. Civilization was probably more inland. We looked at each other in confusion and amazement. We threw our anchor overboard and got off. The sand melted between my toes. I had never seen sand so white before.

The further we ventured in, the more captivating the island unfolded itself to be.

We came across a tall waterfall. The top of it overlooked the island. We spent the rest of the day climbing to the top. The view was like no other. I have seen much in my days on this earth, and this is one of the memories that I will always remember. The way you could see the sunset above the ocean from here was breathtaking.

Far in the distance, was saw a stream of smoke emerge from out of the trees. It was from a fire. Someone was burning a fire. We were not alone.

We would call this island home for now. It was another place with new faces, foods and customs. Like many times before, it was the mark of a new beginning.

Tune in next month for Part Two of the original “A New Beginning” series.