i remember one day at the cottage, years and years ago, when i was still young and impressionable. it was a beautiful day: the water was calm, and the sun was high. my brother pointed to an island on the horizon, and asked what it was; he didn’t think we’d been to it.

my dad started to explain the name, the history, and about halfway through his sentence, he said, ‘no, you’re right. i don’t think you’ve ever been there. let’s go check it out.’

and so we packed a lunch, pulled on our swimsuits and grabbed the dog, and hopped in the boat. and we spent, quite literally, the whole day just boating around and exploring the islands.

i think that was the first time that it really hit me - there are no rules to life, and sometimes you can just pack up and go. it’s allowed and goddamn, but it’s fun.