I spent the summer times of my youth in water. Pool water. We lived about a half a mile from the town pool and we went just about every day. First, mom would drive us down and back and when we got older, my sister and I would bike. And this was a big feat because the way home included a gigantic hill. After an afternoon spent in the sun, playing mermaids and synchronized swimmers, that hill posed quite the challenge. But we did it. Our reward was to sit in the backyard and enjoy a Mr. Freeze or two before showering up. Summertime was a good time.
As a mom with two children, we try to spend our summer time in the water, too. Except here in the land of 1000 lakes, it’s lakes, lakes and more lakes. It was a small adjustment for me, I’ll admit (I like my water clean, clear and chlorinated and without living things), but the children don’t know anything else and we have loads of fun, living creatures and all. When Wayfair asked me to recreate a summer childhood memory of mine with an adult twist, the first thing I thought about was being near the water.
This trip didn’t require sunscreen, a bag of beach toys or compulsively monitoring little ones’ “swimming”. For MJ and me, this was a laid back visit, at the end of the day, when the beach wasn’t crowded, to sit and relax and be together. Some simple drinks and some simple foods. It was divine. Like the world took a small pause, just for us.
