After an über relaxing week of frolicking barefoot in the sand and basking in the sun, my crew returned to Dallas late Saturday night desperately clinging to our vacation calm… Cut to the decidedly calm-evaporating task of doing endless loads of sand-speckled laundry on Sunday, and I was hell-bent on getting the “mellow” back.
So in the midst of methodically folding beach towels, I pondered how I could permanently infuse that vacation vibe into our daily lives.
It shouldn’t be that hard, I reasoned, as we are on the cusp of summer — the season that all but requires bare feet and laziness and inspires such throw caution to the wind acts as believing watermelon, tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt, and a few popsicles is a perfectly acceptable dinner menu.
By the time the last towel was folded and tucked away, I resolved to start with the basics, e.g., eating outside. (For me, eating outside = instant vacation mode.) I whipped up a simple asparagus and goat cheese quiche, tossed together a big salad, poured some wine, and dragged the whole family outside for dinner on the patio.
And I’m happy to report that my plan worked. We lingered and laughed and felt that vacation mellow come rushing back. It was so successful in fact that I’m planning to repeat the scenario as many times as possible before the heat forces us inside.
Now if I could only get my backyard to remotely resemble the dreamy oasis spotted above on Apartment Therapy. Hmm…
