How do Gavin and his mother's feeling about the ocean differ in the novel, The Unpassing?

For Gavin's mother, the ocean is a reminder of the coastal village where she grew up. She feels energized and excited when the family makes the trip down to the coast, and is able to provide for the family by fishing. She deeply mourns the destruction wrought by the Exxon Valdez spill, specifically mentioning the "coast" (209). On the other hand, the ocean is also dangerous, and makes Gavin feel stagnant and out of place. Even after the family moves from Anchorage to Seattle, Gavin says they "hadn't gotten very far," a statement he justifies by describing Seattle as "in the Pacific Northwest yet" (209). Through its relationship with the Pacific Ocean, Seattle becomes a sibling city to Anchorage. Ultimately, due to the father's decision to cross the ocean from Taiwan to America, Gavin always feels that he is in "a place [he] didn't belong" (213).