A festive Throwback Thursday

July 3rd 2011

Every summer on July 3rd, fireworks light up the night skies over downtown Milwaukee, as they do in countless other cities and towns across the country. But July 3rd, 2011, was a special one: My dad's brother Mike (not to be confused with my mom's brother Mike) took us out on his sailboat for an on-the-water view.

 
















As evidenced by my wintry attire, it certainly was "cooler near the lake" that year. But what a fun experience! I'd never been on a sailboat before. When I went down into the cabin to warm up just before go-time, I was amazed at all the nooks and crannies; not one inch of space goes to waste in a sailboat cabin. 

I remember watching the fireworks from the water and feeling rather awestruck. I guess I've always genuinely "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed over such displays. But on land, there are crowds of people, traffic jams, and nowhere to park. Floating on Lake Michigan, there is calm. 

Tonight, I'm heading downtown for another July 3rd. This time it's to have dinner with my out-of-town friend Rachel and to finally meet her boyfriend, Noah, who just happens to sail and is building a boat in his New York City apartment. (How biblical!) It seems 'tis the season for sailing — and sailors.