Horizons, Exhale

There is something so nurturing about summer's months. So refreshing. So, 

..Am I right? Perfectly indescribable 

Somehow, these cherished moments stay with us with more potency and longevity than even our ongoing daily routines. 

How can I, living in land-locked Arkansas, replace the time when I took my sons to experience the beach for the first time? With Aunt Carina playing with them in the sand? With a cool breeze and clear water, no less??

[Thank you, Chicago, for surprising us with your lovely waterfronts] :) 

How can I compare my mundane life to 4 days of sharing an Airbnb with 6 adults along with 7 kids aged 0-4? And who’s to say if I will ever again make such a beautiful drive on hole 18 to beat Christian in a round of disc golf? ;)

Summer days are opportunities to look out, and up, and far. Gazing, wondering, appreciating. 

And yet, if left to my own devices, I would choose to focus on my immediate rhythms and tasks over vacationing any day of the year - perhaps every day of the year. 

Traveling with toddlers is certainly more taxing than a week in my normal routine. 

Summer’s long days and abundant recreation steal from hours I’d otherwise spend sleeping.  

So how is it that summer rejuvenates us and calls us back again so consistently? 

..Vitamin D? 

If that’s all it is, sign me up for more! :D

You know, honestly, I think the decreased social obligations associated with summer - people being out of town, fewer events going on, etc. - are a huge factor to the sense of rest that I feel. Just call me an introvert :)

Perhaps there’s some addition by subtraction happening. Or maybe it’s more about what we gaze upon than what distractions we remove. I’m not here today to figure out any equations though - I'm cherishing every bit of summertime left!

My only encouragement is this: look out, look up

Horizons, exhale