on the lake

With lake house season coming into view and Memorial Day Weekend even closer, I thought I would dedicate a blog post to those of us fortunate enough to spend our summers at a lake house. 

We all have different experiences at our lake houses, some may include all of your extended family, some may be a place you live all summer, and some may be a safe haven where you can just sit back and relax, but all of us understand these things:

You have traditions for the drive up.

Every time you drive up to your lake house, you have traditions that you have set to make the drive go by faster. Whether it is stopping at your favorite McDonald's with the best iced coffee you've ever had or driving through an area with the most gorgeous houses you've ever seen, or you always stop at the same dollar store for snacks to get you through the rest of the drive or if you're like me and my sister we always mute the radio and scream "I-N-D-I-A-N-A that's Indiana!" when we pass over the state line. You always have things to look forward to while driving up. 

You have lake friends that you can't wait to see all winter. 

There's nothing like having lake friends to look forward to the whole school year. While you don't talk 24/7, seeing them reminds you of summer, and you love it. Nothing beats a day out on the water with some of your favorite lake neighbors.

Your friends beg you to take them. 

You constantly have to hear your friends begging you to take them up to your lake house, and if you do, and it's 100 times more fun being able to show someone around and let them experience the fun that you get to have all summer.

You've been able to drive a boat since you were 10.

Or even before… Yeah, maybe you never officially got your boating license, but you've been driving boats like a pro since you were a kid.

Swimming with fish doesn't even phase you.

Unless you're my sister, then you still panic every single time seaweed or the smallest fish touches the bottom of your toes.

You've gotten your worst sunburn ever there.

You still remember that one time when your everyone told you to put on sunscreen, but instead you didn't listen and stayed in the pool for 4 hours with your friends. Somehow the UV rays were the strongest they've ever been that day, and you had to walk into the cookout that night in red-skinned shame and couldn't sleep that night. You didn't let anyone touch you at all, it hurt so bad.

There's nowhere else that relaxes you as much as your lake house. 

Whether it be a stressful week or not, coming to the lake house and sitting on the deck is an instant relaxer. Even just smelling the lake air gives you a calming feeling. There is nothing better than laying out, blasting music while on the boat or swimming around all day.

You get super close with your family. 

You get to spend quality time with your grandparents and sleep right next to your sister. A lake house is the perfect way to bring your family close together. 

You know all the best spots on the lake. 

You know where the fresh water stream is and it's always colder over there and with your eyes closed you could probably drive the boat to your favorite place to anchor the boat and jump off of. You even know your favorite houses to look at along the lake and the parts where you can see cool animals, like snapping turtles. You probably know the lake like the back of your hand and you know you could never get lost even if you tried.

The townies intrigue you. 

The people that live in town are always the absolute nicest group of people. They are always the first to say hello in passing and constantly have smiles on their faces; but who wouldn't when living in such a beautiful place near so many bodies of water? You're always jealous of their lives and wonder what it must be like to be on the lake whenever you want. 

Water activities are your favorite past time. 

Tubing, relaxing on the pontoon and even just jumping off the dock are the best times of the summer and have been your favorite activities since you were a kid. You'd do anything to be floating on the lake right now. Summer can't come soon enough while you imagine long days of being on the water.

You have your summer lake house "foods". 

Absolutely nothing beats fresh corn on the cob or a grilled cheeseburger with extra pickles, and I look forward to it all year. You love roasting hot dogs over the fire and the day wouldn't be complete if you didn't finish it with a s'more at the end of the night! Everyone has those summer lake house foods that you really only eat while up at the lake and that makes it even more enjoyable.

Nothing beats a campfire at the end of the day.

Friends gather around and bring chairs and treats and blankets and sit around the fire and we all just share stories and pictures and memories from the last time we saw each other. Those are some of the best times!

You know your favorite local restaurants whenever you want to eat out.

When you finally get to go to the restaurant famous for its potato salad, or the one with the awesome pretzels or the best chicken fajitas in town, you know this is what you have been waiting for all winter! You can't forget to get donuts in your pajamas the next morning! While at the lake, you try to only eat at local restaurants you can't get back home.

All your favorite memories are spending time at the lake. 

There are no better memories than the ones you've made while up at the lake. And so many of your memories growing up are at the lake. Life is truly better at the lake and that is where your happiness lies. Spending time  with your family is priceless, learning skills like swimming and boating are things that you'll keep with you forever, and all the laughs and time spent with your favorite people are ones you'll never forget. You hope that one day you can bring your own kids up to your lake house and give them the experiences that you valued your whole life up at the lake. I am extremely blessed to have grown up on such a beautiful lake, an awesome community and I have the best grandparents around!