I grew up in the tropics. Initially, I spent my early childhood in the sunny island of Puerto Rico. I spent the years that followed in the south-east coast of Florida. Palm trees and sand in my toes were an integral part of my childhood. Beaches were a common destination and easily accessible. Even as a young adult, postcards with the silhouette of palm trees on the backdrop of purple and orange sunsets puzzled me. Why would you send someone a picture of something you see every day?
Naïvely, it wasn’t until I moved from Miami to Seattle that I finally understood that these stunning sunsets are not common, they’re spectacular. This started my quiet fondness (read as ‘obsession’) with both beaches and palm trees. Over the years, I’ve collected sand from the beach on my visits back to Florida and at one point even had a Bonsai palm tree in my office.