It’s about 7:30 am when I join my dad on the deck, mesmerized by the stillness of the water, hearing the lobster boats drive by as I crack open a book. It’s a bit chilly, so I throw on a sweatshirt and sip my cup of hot coffee. I will always cherish this morning routine.
Fast forward a few hours, and we drive to the local general store to pick up sandwiches that we’ll eat after we climb the rocks at Ocean Point, seeing the waves crash along the shore, soaking up the sun on our skin.
It’s dinner time now, and we drive over the swing bridge to Robinson’s Wharf. It’s our favorite restaurant. It has lots of fish for my mom, whereas my dad goes right to the “land lovers” section. We eat and talk and, of course, look at the beautiful water. Our week in Maine is always my favorite part of the summer.
Ever since I was six years old, my family has spent one week each summer in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It’s my favorite place in the world. I yearn for this week all year. Being in the clean, crisp air allows me to clear my head, and being away from the business of everyday life has allowed me to spend quality time with my parents and make lifelong friends. Even as life changes, this is constant. While I wish I could spend all summer in this beautiful place, I am so thankful for the time that I do get to spend here. It’s hard to describe why a seemingly random place could hold such a special place in my heart, but over the years, I’ve made so many memories in this town. Here are just a few:
When I was six-years-old, we went to the swimming pool one day, and I met a girl named Claudia. We started chatting and swimming together, and we instantly became friends. To this day, we stay in touch. She stays in Maine all summer, and whenever I come up we make sure to see each other. We have quite literally watched each other grow up, debriefing each other on our school year each time we hang out, talking about the new phases of life we find ourselves in.
Every other summer, our best family friends come up with us for the week. They are like my second family, and it’s so special to share this place with them. We eat a lot of ice cream. And we play a lot of games. But most importantly, we laugh. A lot. I’m pretty sure we spend 90% of our time together laughing.
For my mom’s 50th birthday, all of her best friends came up with us. We all took a boat ride together, enjoying the scenery and the company. I, of course, hung out with the other kids and had a blast. My mom had had a rough year, and this made her really happy. So, of course, it made me happy too.
There are a lot of little things that make this place so special to me. Watching the sunset, taking a walk, reading for fun, going to my favorite ice cream shop, driving around admiring the views. I’ve always been close with my parents, and I’m grateful that our weeks up here let me spend quality time with them without the distractions of our busy lives at home. I’m really privileged to get to spend a few days here every summer and I feel lucky to have this place and these people in my life. I hope that when I have kids someday, I can show them the magic of this place.
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