Summer Fun!

As I write this post, I’m taking a break from gathering my gear for my summer break. I’m so excited to be traveling and getting away from the Texas heat. My vacation this year is three weeks where I grew up, in the tiny state of Rhode Island. I’ll spend time with family, old friends and the current hero and heroine dancing in my brain. I’m also excited about being able to see the beaches and eat as much awesome seafood as I can.

When I’m on the beach I don’t swim in the water. Brrrr! (okay, I might put my feet in it) But nothing sounds as peaceful to me as the waves splashing up onto the beach. The rhythm fills my heart and slows my heartbeat. I feel free. Sometimes one of my best friends and I take our beach chairs and books to the beach when most families are heading home. Sometimes we read, sometimes we talk, sometimes we just listen to the sounds around us.

Another experience I enjoy when I visit Rhode Island is fishing. I’m not very good. My first two times out on the boat I caught… a Coke can and a bundle of seaweed. I didn’t even get the teeny tiny fish everyone throws back. This picture is only from a few years ago. The people around me couldn’t understand why I was so excited. When I shared that it was the 1^st first fish I ever caught, they actually clapped for me. (It was yummy!) But the point of the trip isn’t whether I catch something or not. For me, it’s about the soft roll of the ocean, the sounds of the birds flying by, the heat of a summer sun finding its way to me despite me hanging out in the shade.

Another thing I love about my summer trips to Rhode Island is getting time to devote to my writing. I enjoy sitting in the sun room of my parents’ place putting the pieces together of the current book. I love learning about my characters and the suspense angle of the manuscript. But I also love being able to stop mid-morning and have a cup of tea with my mom. These days I can spend as much or as little time writing as I want. Even though I sometimes take day trips for shopping (gotta have chocolates, right?) meet a friend for lunch, or have a cookout with family, the possibilities of my writing progress are open and welcome.

And now I’m here. I’ve probably already seen several family members, had my first serving of fried scallops and French fries, and I’m sure I’ve been plodding in the chilly beach water. But my mind is at ease and my heart is full.