The summer months not only mean a slower, more deliberate pace for many, but a time when families make plans to take one special trip or enjoy several mini-vacations at various destinations. There’s discussion about whether their time should be spent barefooted on the beach or perusing aquariums or museums in major cities. Some might decide to take a road trip far away from reminders of work, school or home. One common denominator is present among all these plans—the goal is to relax and have fun.
I view this appointed “fun” time with ambivalence.
Read the rest of this essay on The First Day
Image: “Summer Smile” by Cris via Flickr.

Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.