Psychology says people who feel emotionally lighter within minutes of arriving at the ocean aren’t imagining it — studies show that simply looking at water can lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate in less than two minutes, before a single wave has been heard.
There is a particular feeling that arrives before the holiday has properly started. You step out of the car near the ocean, or reach the end of a street where the water suddenly opens in front of you, and your body seems to loosen before your mind has built an explanation. It can…