Last night at the beach with my favorite crew. Family vacations are just inherently messy affairs. Everyone comes with a slightly different agenda, needing or expecting something different from the concept of “vacation.” We pick up our lives and drop them back down in new scenery expecting to have a magically perfect time. And there is some magic in that – life does, for a few days, seems to transcend our daily petty concerns and grievances. But not completely. We are still messy us. There is still bickering and the ill advised snide comment. There are still conflicts and discomfort. Upset stomachs and hurt feelings still happen on vacation. I say all of this to give context to one statement: we had a wonderful time and I can’t wait to do it all again. Love these people so much – at our best and our “could be better”. This messy, glorious, rich life.