Summer Is Made for Making Memories

For nearly a decade, my family has been making memories in Wrightsville Beach, NC. There’s something about this place that instills a sense of peacefulness and makes visitors like us feel like locals. Our visits started as a family vacation, evolved into a week away for the kids and me, and has now become a special tradition for my daughter and me.

Last summer’s visit was even more special. Maybe it was because my daughter had just graduated college. Maybe it was because, as the years move onward, I become more keenly aware of how valuable time is. And time in Wrightsville Beach seems to move more slowly.

We immerse in the little things, which makes our days stretch out luxuriously. Each morning starts with coffee at our favorite local coffee shop across the street from where we stay and where we know the baristas. After lingering and chatting, we walk across the street again and down to the beach to take a long walk along the ocean’s shore. We’ve taken these walks so many times that we no longer need to snap pictures to capture the beauty all around us. Of course, we sometimes still do.

More memories are added to the memory bank as we go for fresh-pressed juice or an acai bowl at the local surf smoothie shop. We’ve loved watching the transformation of some of the houses on this part of the island that’s become so familiar it feels like a second home. Afternoon walks lead us to a serene spot near a big gorgeous house right on the part of the water called the sound. This inlet is a perfect place to take photos. Not the kind where everything has to be perfect, but the kind that captures the pure joy of these moments.

Most days end with a late afternoon walk by the water and then watching the stunning sunsets along the sound. In past years we have caught a glorious sunrise or two over the ocean, but we don't always manage to get up quite that early.

And I’m completely fine with that. Summers are made for making memories. There are more sunrises to behold and plenty more memories to make this summer, and in many summers to come.

Originally shared on CollegiateParent's Facebook page. Find more conversation and community in our College Parent Insiders Facebook group. Photo courtesy of the author.