date night on the lake.

It had been weeks–a couple months even–since our last date. With Steve’s summer schedule, there’s loads of quantity time but it’s far too easy to let the quality time slip. Since we’ve been up on the lake, we’re together every day, but so are we all. And there’s a lot of us! We’ve had visitors–Nathaniel and Jordan who have come up for a few days here and there in between their work weeks, a friend of William’s, some cousins, my own Mom and Dad who are staying here–and you know how it goes. There’s my husband but have we actually spoken except to quickly meal plan that night’s dinner? given hugs? made lasting eye contact in the last four days? Whenever we stay up here, we have the best intentions of taking the boat out at night, being together alone. But it so rarely actually comes to fruition. Lake days mean early mornings, and then early nights and you get lazy, put on your pajamas, and open your book. Lights off by 10. Steve took the bull by the horns this time, made a reservation for one of the restaurants in downtown Wolfeboro, and said, “I’m taking you out tonight!” Well, okay then, handsome man! My face when it’s date night.Pulling up to Wolfeboro. There’s a few towns on the lake–Meredith and Wolfeboro are our favorites–but Wolfeboro is one of the more quaint towns that feels very much like nothing has changed about it in years. In fact, I’d bet that very little actually has. Since I’ve been coming to the lake (almost 15 years since my first trip here!), it’s been the same. (Though there was this health food store just up the road from the lake that I used to love, and it’s sadly moved on!)  Certain summer nights of the year, you can just drift off the dock (or tie up if you have a spot) and listen to the band playing from the little gazebo right there. Isn’t that a sweet idea? Feels very Americana, whatever that actually means. In fact Wolfeboro calls itself the oldest summer resort in America. While that feels a little bit like the scene in Elf where he runs in to congratulate the NYC convenience store for having the world’s greatest cup of coffee, I’d like to believe Wolfeboro is accurate in this claim. It sure is a happy place for us, anyway. We went to Garwoods for dinner, which has a waterfront spot including a deck in the back, loads of cocktails with clever names like Rattlesnake Island, Bear Island, and the Broads. I got one that I can’t remember the name of but was basically a mojito. A delicious mojito at that. Fresh mint, get in my cocktail. When we rode back, it was dark, and we turned off the boat engine in Wolfeboro Bay and just hung out. Looking up, I realized how little I ever actually look at the stars. A few times per year, maybe? I mean, really go outside with the only goal being to look up at the sky for any sort of sustained period. How often do you do this? It is so satisfying and so completely magical, mystical, all of the adjectives to describe such a thing that makes you feel so small, and that this world has been turning long before you ever came on the scene. I’m aiming to do this more. Goodness knows, it’s not time I’d ever regret. This and really taking in lots of those delicious fall sunsets that can quickly pass me by if I’m inside cooking dinner.  Love this lake, love this man, and love our date nights.

{outfit details: jeans / top / sandals}