This year, I had the opportunity to do something I haven't done since I was 14 years old: I went to Bayside, Maine with my family.
Bayside is a tiny community that is part of Northport, ME. My stepfather's family used to own cottages there, and he has had regular summer vacations there since he was a child. He learned to sail there, at the Bayside Sailing Club - in fact, it was his godmother who first set up the school and he & his brother were the mascots before they were allowed to sail.
It really hadn't changed at all since I was last there. The cottages are still tiny and some sort of ramshackle - most were built in the late 1800's and are protected to some extent. But this is what makes it charming.
The whole family was there, for a change: My mom & stepdad; me, Colin & Special K., my sister & her family, my brother & his family. And special guests included: My grandmother - who will be 97 in December - and the youngest of my grandma's grandchildren, Ginny and her family. There were also some family from my step-dad's side: his half sister Anne, and a nephew, Laurien, both visiting from France; Aunt Shirley & Uncle Al.
Days are pretty relaxed in Bayside. My typical day went thus:
- I would wake up and take the dog for a walk. Besides my mom & step-dad, I was the only one she allowed to walk her.
- I would have some coffee and breakfast on the front porch and talk to my parents.
- I'd walk down to the pier and have a wander on the rocky beach.
- I'd wait for my sister to wake up so we could go have some fun.
- Eventually, I'd have dinner with the whole extended family and go to bed early.
You quickly learn to enjoy the simple things in life living like that.
We did some touring, too. One day, Colin & I went to the nearby town of Belfast, which is now voted as one of the 10 coolest small towns in the US. It is filled with little art shops and we were able to buy some art for our home. Another day, my sister, Leslie, and sister-in-law, Ruth, went to Camden, a larger small town and wandered the streets.
One the drive into the Bayside, we stopped to visit my friend, Jean, from the UK, at her mother's "camp" (as they call cottages and cabin sites in Maine) near Lovell. Jean was with her man, Joe, and his two daughters, who live in Europe with their mother. The day we left, Joe proposed to Jean, and now that we know it is just a 6 hour drive to Lovell, we are looking forward to seeing them next summer - hopefully for their wedding!
It was great to see everyone and to live those memories again. Colin & I decided that in a couple years, we'll go with his family and rent a cottage, too.
