There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.
— Logan Pearsall Smith
I came across this quote today and I thought that it fits perfectly with this blog subject. Not only do we want the house on the Cape, I am quite sure we will enjoy it. It’s not a quest for us just to “have” one more thing. It’s truly a part of who we are and we believe it will seriously impact the enjoyment of our lives. Sounds lofty I know, but I truly believe it.
Since starting this 18 months to the Cape initiative, I’ve written little to explain to you my love affair with Cape Cod – why we want a little piece of it all to ourselves and how we’ll enjoy it. (I’ll allow Bryan to address with you some of his feelings on the Cape directly – this part is my story – the inception of my fascination with Cape Cod.)
From as far back as I can remember, my family vacationed on the Cape every summer. It was just a week – sometimes 10 days – but it felt like heaven. We’d rent a small cottage in Eastham from family friends. We typically went at the end of June, just shortly after school got out for the summer. There was something – and still is something – so magical about crossing the bridge and being officially “on the Cape.” As an adult, I can feel the stress of “real life” melting away and instantly feeling lighter – almost literally. It’s such a release. As a child, I obviously didn’t put that much thought into it, but I just remember it feeling so good, almost magical. Reflecting back on this as an adult, I imagine that what I was feeling was a result of that release that my parents were feeling as we crossed the bridge. They were letting go of their stress, eager to wiggle their toes in the sand, to stroll along the beach. Their letting go of stress translated to a more carefree attitude, which was what was so different and magical to us kids.
Those 10 days spent together in the cottage were wonderful. They weren’t perfect, there may have been an occasional raised voice as my brothers raised a little hell, but for the most part, everyone took it down a notch and was more relaxed. The Cape is exactly that, a place to relax. There aren’t any theme parks. Pirates Cover mini-golf is as close as you get. No crazy itineraries and wake-up calls. For us, it was all about enjoying the beach and quiet nights without the phone ringing. Every day of the week that weather permitted, we’d pack up the car and head down to the beach. We were in walking distance, maybe a half of a mile, to a beach, but we’d venture out to different beaches by car as well. We’d spend the whole day, from like 10am to 3pm or so at the beach - swimming, floating around, building sand castles, digging holes, taking a walk, beachcombing, reading a book or napping – some days all of it.
Some evenings it would be dinners out, other nights dinner at the cottage – our annual spaghetti and meatballs. Dinner was always followed by a walk on the beach and usually ice cream. Back at the cottage, with our buckets filled with seashells and other treasures from that night’s walk, it was listening to or watching baseball, playing board games and cards, and reading.
These are the most cherished memories of my childhood. I thank my parents immensely for giving us these experiences and planting the seed within me. These are the memories I want to pass on to my children. Surely we’ll develop our own traditions, and owning a home will allow us to “indulge” more frequently in the pleasures of the Cape. But at the same time, it will be our goal to maintain that magical feeling and always appreciate what a gift our time on the Cape is, whether it’s 10 days a year or 100.
Those 10 days spent together in the cottage were wonderful. They weren’t perfect, there may have been an occasional raised voice as my brothers raised a little hell, but for the most part, everyone took it down a notch and was more relaxed. The Cape is exactly that, a place to relax. There aren’t any theme parks. Pirates Cover mini-golf is as close as you get. No crazy itineraries and wake-up calls. For us, it was all about enjoying the beach and quiet nights without the phone ringing. Every day of the week that weather permitted, we’d pack up the car and head down to the beach. We were in walking distance, maybe a half of a mile, to a beach, but we’d venture out to different beaches by car as well. We’d spend the whole day, from like 10am to 3pm or so at the beach - swimming, floating around, building sand castles, digging holes, taking a walk, beachcombing, reading a book or napping – some days all of it.
Some evenings it would be dinners out, other nights dinner at the cottage – our annual spaghetti and meatballs. Dinner was always followed by a walk on the beach and usually ice cream. Back at the cottage, with our buckets filled with seashells and other treasures from that night’s walk, it was listening to or watching baseball, playing board games and cards, and reading.
These are the most cherished memories of my childhood. I thank my parents immensely for giving us these experiences and planting the seed within me. These are the memories I want to pass on to my children. Surely we’ll develop our own traditions, and owning a home will allow us to “indulge” more frequently in the pleasures of the Cape. But at the same time, it will be our goal to maintain that magical feeling and always appreciate what a gift our time on the Cape is, whether it’s 10 days a year or 100.
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