Life, Love and Lake Weekends
Growing up, my favorite place in the world was my family’s lake cabin in Red Granite, WI. I was the kid you could send down to the water in the morning and not see again until the sun set. The cabin rested atop a very steep hill, so at 100+ stairs to get up or down, the family wisely installed a literal dinner bell that was used to summon the children up from the water at suppertime. Sometimes even after the bell was rung, an adult would have to come fetch me from the shores of the lake because I never wanted to get out. Many of my happiest childhood memories were made at that place, from the rare treat of hot dogs and ice cream drumsticks to hours of learning and playing card games, bonfires, tubing, and countless hours of swimming, it was at “the cabin” that I was always the most content. Fast forward 15+ years, add a dash of quarantine with a side of social distancing, and you can only imagine how delighted I was to spend my Labor Day weekend of 2020 at a lake house with 20+ other boozing, fun loving adults.
First of all, I love Denver but we land locked as hell here and I love water. Swimming in it, laying near it, listening to it — give me all of the water. Secondly, I did not realize how much I missed being in big groups. There is just such a joy of being in a group with that many people, you can stand at the forefront and have all eyes on you or you can fade into the background and watch the hilarity unfold or you can even break out into several smaller groups while still retaining that big group feel. You meet new people, have varied and interesting conversations with a wide range of personalities, and just generally more so feel like you are part of something. Finally, last but certainly not least, being at a lake house always brings me back to that level of childish glee. There was one day this past weekend where I must’ve grabbed a floaty 4–5x and just walked down to the water to float by myself for while socializing was a priority, being in the water was of the greatest importance. Lucky for me, others shared my vibe and I was never alone in the water for long — it was a regular water cooler situation, relaxing and floating around in the lake. I engaged with friends both new and old, as I sipped on copious seltzers and worked on my tan. I mean really, does it get better than that?
The lake house belongs to the family of my cousin’s husband, down in Seneca, SC and is situated literally right on the warm and tranquil waters of Lake Keowee. The house alone is a glory in and of itself, sleeping 15+, spanning 3 levels, and home to a master suite that I believe is, by itself, larger than my entire apartment. The house is isolated enough with a long private driveway, a private dock, and a very large yard that is used to cavort many a drinking game tourney, playing things like corn hole, Can Jam, beer pong, flip cup, and more. At the dock, available to the group, are two jet skies, a speed boat, and a pontoon boat, as well as an upper deck that we used for jumping off of into the water. Or doing flips off of into the water, if you are the dare devil type (I am not). Much to my delight, the pontoon boat was used to allow me a chance to both water ski and wake board, both water sports which I very much enjoy. My legs were sore for at least 4 days, but it was worth every second of pain to experience the joy one gets from riding high down the wake. Family meals were also a treat, each group was designated one night to feed the rest and while it was nothing fancy — tacos, burgers & dogs, spaghetti — it was so nice to plate up, find a spot, and dine with such a large group of friends in that gorgeous home. Taco night found me out on the upstairs patio, playing cards, drinking seltzer, and simply having a ball with 6 others. The view of the lake from the upstairs patio is so peaceful as well, it was basically lake paradise. Or just regular paradise, I was in heaven. I was there Thursday through Monday but could’ve stayed a month, at least. It honestly made me realize that while I love and enjoy Colorado for now, I may not be able to settle down in a spot where I don’t have close access to water. It really just brings me so much joy.
To sum, I can’t wait for a COVID-19 vaccine. I miss large groups, frequent travel, meeting new people, and general merriment without fear of a potentially life threatening and seriously contagious virus. Labor Day weekend was a sweet taste of “before” and while I don’t know what “after” will hold, I know that I, like many others I’m sure, am ready for it.
