“In the sea, life is most tasty,” says a song by Systema Solar. This is a Colombian group of musicians. I learned to swim in a river near my father’s town. When I was eight years old, my parents took my brother and me to meet the sea. When I saw the sea, I asked my father, “Is swimming here the same as swimming in the river?” He just said, “Come with me.” That day, my father and I swam all afternoon. For me, it is the best memory I have. When I swim in the sea, I remember this day. I feel my father near me.

This past summer, I went to different beaches here in New York. I went to Manhattan Beach, Coney Island, and Rockaway. I dove in the sea for hours. I didn’t touch the bottom. I just swam and swam in different directions. I felt free. I felt like a fish. Sometimes I swam, floating on the sea, and saw the sky. I thought about my life, my decisions, my family, or I simply didn’t think about anything. For me, swimming in the sea is a moment to relax. You hear only nature. You see the seagulls looking for their food. You see the blue sky and remember that this life is beautiful and the universe is perfect.

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Oriana Roa started studying in CLIP classes at CUNY’s York College in 2019. Her teacher is Stephanie Mueller. A native of Colombia, she is 32 years old and came to New York in 2017 with a lot of dreams. In Colombia, she worked in advertising. She wants to continue her career here, for which she says the English language is important. She loves music and watching movies. She knows that life is a process, and life in New York City is another part of it.