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| Beach babe. |
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| Summer bliss. |
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| Four girls on four swings. |
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| Claire Bear swinging! |
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| Bella pumping herself to the moon! |
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| Luna coming at me fast! |
I've been back home on the island for a week now. It has proven to be wildly surreal. In this short week I have seen at least a dozen, if not twenty folks that I have not seen in five to ten years. It being summer, as well as the holiday weekend, former islanders of all sorts have come back to the place we all still consider home.
Typically I am not a fan of seeing people I haven't seen in years, only to catch up hearing "I had a kid" or "I got married" or "I got a divorce" or all three of those. Generally if I haven't stayed in contact with someone, it's because I don't want to. However, it's different out here this summer. It could be ten years since you've seen someone and because you're islanders back on the island in the summer, there is a precious commonality. Island summers are pure perfection.
With two fresh water lakes, three swimming parks, endless parks and trails, there is no reason to be inside or bored here in the summer. The weather has been perfection. Cool mornings, with clouds burning off after lunch. I've been able to spend most of my days with my nieces. The girls are getting so big and Shamarye is so grown up, he has a job! So I barely even get to spend time with him. Spending summer days with the girls has brought back so many happy summer time childhood memories.
I remember... Endless days in the lake. Wishing we could spend all day in the water. Always wanting to go to The Swimming Hole over Interlachen (the park down the street from our house). Wanting to not wear shoes when walking anywhere. Sleeping outside under the stars. Walking to and from the store with numerous other children.
I remember that which my nieces and nephew are currently experiencing. It's been a very long time since I've been out on the island without an agenda, particularly in the summer time. I had forgotten how beautiful it is here. I forgot how much I love swimming. I get to swim across the lake alone, when no one else is around and it's perfectly calm. I get to take night swims with my brother. I really couldn't be more happy. Life is good. Really, really good.
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| The Swimming Hole! |
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| Bella and Luna as classic Islanders. |
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| Interlachen |
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| The beach. |
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| Formerly, The Swing. |
