From the city and beyond

Summer is flying.

I just got back from an extended weekend at Myrtle Beach with 15 other nutty (current and former) Richmonders. I hadn’t seen most of them in a good while, and it’s nice we can meet up somewhere to wreak havoc.

I’d intended to take pictures and even lugged my digital SLR along (which eventually caused a minor delay on my way back when Myrtle security was at a loss for what this was. Hint: it rhymes with slattery). But the few times the camera left the bag were at airport checkpoints. For whatever reason, I didn’t feel like documenting. It likely was the only time I went on vacation and seriously kicked back, soaked it all in and let my mind wander. I read about Bourdain’s culinary indiscretions, allowed the waves to mercilessly batter me and the boogie board, and let the sun coat my skin a slightly darker hue.

It was a welcome break from here. New York has a way of beating you up and making you think you want to move to a remote island or mountain or scenic hideaway, somewhere that doesn’t throw at you the day-to-day nonsense the city all too readily provides. But then you get away from it all, you get to what you think is your nice, happy place only to realize your nice, happy place is the one you so desperately wanted to leave behind. It just takes a bit of distance to fully appreciate that.

What keeps me sane is I’m surrounded by amazing people. From around the city, outside the city, on the other coast or a bus ride away. The last few weeks I’ve been hit by a wedding bouquet on a mission, lost my voice — multiple times — at karaoke, ridden in a crumbling limo, danced the night away with a chili pepper bouquet, laughed so hard my stomach hurt, gazed at fireworks on the beach, routinely ate quite possibly the best pizza ever to be consumed on a stoop, and we all know about that bike thing. Moments like that I wish could last forever. But alas, all great chapters come to an end. Summer is winding down; soon the leaves will fall. And one of my very favorite people has left for more mountainous pastures.

The city once again is changed.