"Planting a Flag in the Sand" by Dave McCaul

I saw the island first from the plane. It appeared at the end of a long flight to Hawaii: the "Forbidden Isle" of Ni'ihau. Curiosity got the better of me. I couldn't resist visiting. On my third day in Hawaii, I set out in a kayak from Kauai, the island nearest to Ni'ihau. It was a long, hard paddle across the choppy waves of the Pacific Ocean. After eight hours of non-stop paddling, I finally reached the beach. I dragged my kayak onto land and collapsed on the hot sands. Then I sat up and took a look at my surroundings.

On either side of the beach, jagged cliffs rose to heights of several hundred feet. Huge waves pounded the rocks at the base of the cliffs. At my back was a tropical forest of palm and guava trees. Tall, broad grasses swayed in the breeze. I scanned the forest, but I couldn't find any kind of trail or other entry to the beach. I looked up and down the beach, but the sand was free of footprints. It seemed plausible that I was the first person to set foot on this beach for a long, long time. I felt like planting a flag in the sand. I would declare the beach to be mine—all mine! I turned my back on the forest to gaze at the clear blue waters of the ocean. The rushing sound of the waves set my mind at ease. Calmed by the ocean's rhythm, I fell asleep.

How is the narrator affected by the setting?

A. He feels like the island belongs to him.
B. He remembers his last visit to the island.
C. He begins to feel lonely without companions.
D. He worries that he might be trespassing.