On the first day of summer vacations we played cards in the backyard until 11am, enjoyed a fresh cooked lunch like Nani makes, took some naps, and wrote letters to our best friends.

On the second and third day we continued the backyard escapades, and now we have morning coffee, evening tea and dinner outdoors.

We have played cards, made crafts, done painting, cooked together and enjoyed some refreshing cocktails and mocks tails on hot days.

I am embracing summer this year. I’ve put myself in summer vacay mode that only turns off between 8:30am – 3:00pm. It has helped me managed a stressful phase at work, a very demanding child who wants her parents to engage and put away their gadgets as soon as she is home, and it has brought a sense of calm to my days.

While there are so many pros to this switch. There are some cons, I am far too rested. Not enough drive to even hit the treadmill in fact. And that has been a challenge. But with great calm comes great clarity. So I will use it to find my way.