[Twos]day Tunesday.

Yesterday was a long day. Not bad, just LONG.

It was my second day of class and rainy out, so instead of getting jazzed up and ready it was just the sequel. Same place, same people, different day. The main character’s [Drew’s] new struggle: “He’s gotten through the first day [cue music]…Now what’s he gotten himself into?” [Action scenes into end of trailer] Look for the finale in May: “Graduation” (if he survives).

But life is one step at a time, and while the second day wasn’t as exciting as the first, it was still only the second day.

Also, speaking of two’s, I made two near-wrong-turns today. First came on the way out of Greensboro when I started to take the exit for Amanda’s house and had to swerve back onto the road. Oops. More coffee today. The second happened on my way home for the night when I almost went to my parents’ house instead of my duplex. Oops again. Some habits are hard to break, huh?

Anyway, I made it through day two and wanted to share one more thing.

Since yesterday was Tuesday (new music day), I decided to write down the main songs I listened to throughout the day. These are songs I heard on my commute and at key points the rest of yesterday. None of it’s NEW exactly, but I wanna start doing this from now on. We’ll call it “Tunesday,” and you’ll get a glimpse into the setlist that made my Tuesday happen.

I’ll try to make it random and leave the iPod on shuffle for the most part, but there will be some songs I wanna play at certain times too.

Here’s the setlist for Tunesday, July 27, 2010:

COMMUTE

Grand Funk Railroad-“Some Kind of Wonderful”

Ben Harper-“Fly One Time”

John Mayer-“Back to You (Live from Cary, NC, 2002)”

Michael Jackson-“Black or White”

Keith Urban-“Somebody Like You”

John Mayer-“Perfectly Lonely”

LUNCH

The Roots-“The Fire”*

The Roots-“The Seed 2.0”

LAST SONG OF THE NIGHT

John Mayer-“Edge of Desire”*

*Selected on purpose

Cool, eh? Relatively random, but of course Mayer makes it in there a few times. Keep an eye on “Tunesday,” though. You might find some good new-old music to get you through your week.

Day three now. Here we go.

Drew.

Steel wool.

I can tighten my pants because the first day of class is under my BELT! Gotta say it feels pretty good. It's only a week of seminars, but it's still SCHOOL, and it's the first I've been back in over two years!

The day started off pretty well, but I couldn't sleep the night before. I had the typical first-day jitters again, you know how it is. Rolled around a lot, and woke up at 5a.m. because I really had to pee. I hate this, because I was getting up at 7, but I only stay in bed if I have under an hour left to sleep. Any longer than that and you'll just roll around more. Or pee your bed.

Anyway, got up, did my pushups, and chugged my coffee. Then I was OFF!

Timed my journey from the door of my house to turning my car off in the Elon parking lot to exactly 30 minutes! Not bad, eh?

Then it was time for my first seminar. There are 16 of about 36 students in these pre-semester seminars, so I got to meet about half of the class. Everyone seemed really cool, but we all know we're in for a long year together.

I took lots of notes today and cranked out my homework as soon as I got home. It was a pretty good day, and while I'm still rusty in the school-routine department, I'm ready to steel-wool it up and hit it like it's my job again...because right now, it is...

Drew.

Beauty in the breakdown.

Went kayaking on a local lake yesterday. It was the hottest day of the year, and we were surrounded by water we couldn’t drink or swim in, but it was beautiful.

Between paddling around and racing Amanda, there were several moments where we’d stop and lay back on the boat to let the wind and current take us around. We wouldn’t talk, but we’d listen.

During these moments, my mind raced around the state of the world and the thought of life. I thought about sitting in the quiet in the middle of this lake when so much was going on everywhere else. I thought about the oil in the Gulf and war and money and how fast everyone tries to move. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds and the zicadas and the paddles. It was so hot I could pretty much hear the heat too, and it was nice.

There really is beauty in the breakdown of things. As crazy as the world is, and as sad as the overall state of things can be, there is ALWAYS something beautiful nearby. You may or may not agree, but I’ve always been a glass half-full type of guy, and it’s definitely something I believe in. My time on the lake yesterday was a nice way to slow down for a while and soak some of that beauty into my head. As few and far between as these moments can be, they tip the scales into making the tough and wasted moments worth putting up with.

John Mayer made a great point in one of his concerts last week. He said that most of the time, we’re living through tough moments and bullshit, but the good times in your life always stand out. Focusing on these good times, you don’t realize how short they really are. “The best night of your life may only last from 10-2,” he said, “but you don’t think about it only lasting four hours. You think about how it was the best night of your life.” He pointed out that these moments become harder to find as you get through certain obstacles, but that embracing them can get you through anything. The guy knows what’s up.

I only spent two hours on the lake, but it was my last free Saturday before school starts. Change is coming, and it’s scary and good, and yesterday was a great way to relax and soak in the beauty before I start running for a while. It was simple, hot, and pretty, and I’ll hold onto it to get me through the tough and the normal…

D.

Third-person profile.

I’m writing a third person profile of myself for the Elon I-Media website. We have to say a little about ourselves and send in a professional-looking picture.

Most of the examples I’ve read so far are pretty full of professional experience and internships. I don’t have any of this. I mean, I’ve got LIFE experience, but nothing for the paper. I can spin this, though. I know I can.

Let’s see:

“Drew Sykes is from Greensboro, NC. He graduated from NC State University in 2008 with a degree in English Creative Writing and a minor in Journalism.”

Ok. Good so far…now what?

“He has not used his degree for anything since college.”

No, no. Have to embellish a little…

“After college he began to work at a restaurant.”

Add a little more color:

“After college he served as a waiter at the prestigious local/organic pizza restaurant, Sticks and Stones, which has been featured in both Food Network and Signature Magazine. He has also half-maintained a blog on the side and been a regional roadie for John Mayer.”

Little more.

“After college he served as a waiter at the prestigious local/organic pizza restaurant, Sticks and Stones, which has been featured in both Food Network and Signature Magazine. There, he was given the spoken award of “Best Waiter in History” by his mother, and was often tipped over fifteen percent. Besides waiting tables, he has had several blog entries self-published through Blogspot, Facebook, and Tumblr, and has gone on tour with John Mayer, paying 1/3 of the artist’s salary through merchandise and ticket sales. Now that he’s returning to school, he looks forward to being an all-star student and dominating every class while juggling social life and writing novels on the side.”

Whew. Not bad, but maybe a little too much. How bout, just, DREW? Here we go:

“Drew Sykes is from Greensboro, NC. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2008 with a degree in English Creative Writing and a minor in Journalism. After college he volunteered as a ropes instructor in Colorado for the summer and has since worked as a server at a local organic restaurant. Drew is an avid sports and music fan and hopes to work his way into writing and producing content for television and internet media. He loves to absorb and write about everyday life, and his highest goal is to climb the ladder and work as an on-air talent. He’s looking at the iMedia program as a great opportunity to strengthen his skills and jump into the fast-paced media field.”

I like it. Simple. Truthful. ME.

Now I’ve gotta find a picture…

"It's been a long night in {Raleigh}, too..."

Two days removed from Mayer in Raleigh and I’m finally writing.

Two days removed and I’m still TIRED. I’ve always respected the guy for his music and passion to play, but I don’t know how he does it! My legs are shot and I feel like I’ve been on Spring Break in Cancun or something, and all I did was get into the show!

Anyway, he brought it again, and completely ROCKED it again!

Opened with “Vultures” for the second night, and segued into “Clarity” once more, which of course, I didn’t mind. I didn’t film it this time, and listening to him play it 40 feet in front of you is like listening to SUMMER. You can feel the warmth from the horns, you’re relaxed from the strumming of the guitar, and the piano puts you on a higher level of good vibes.

He went into “Why Georgia” full band next, which will ALWAYS take me back to late high school/early college. No matter where I am, whenever I see Mayer live, I concert call my buddy Matt Minnick during this song. Haven’t seen him in almost three years, but “Why Georgia” was the STAPLE of the first semester of our freshman year at NC State. We saw him play there within a week of school starting, and it’s been stuck with us ever since. Minnick, if you ever happen to read this, you’ll be getting a call in about two weeks from the DC show.

Mayer mellowed it out with “Do You Know Me” after this and gave Bob Reynolds another chance to shine. He kept the mood chill with “Who Says” next, getting a roar from the crowd when he said “In my mind I’m stoned in Carolina…” and “It’s been a long night in Cary, too…” (Who doesn’t love when the band or artists calls out your city or state?)

“Perfectly Lonely” turned the summer mood back on, and he followed with “Waiting on the World to Change”.

“Gravity” came next, which again, will always be his heart. He mentioned something about this song being for anyone who was going through anything difficult, and reminded them to keep pushing.

Mayer broke out “Heartbreak Warfare” after this, and had everyone jumping up and down by the end of the song. He brought just as much anger and emotion into this version as the one in Charlotte, so I’m thinking it’ll probably be like this the rest of the tour. Definitely fun.

He threw us another curveball after “HW” and started grooving “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” with “The Black One” in hand, and kept the blues going with “Ain’t No Sunshine” once again.

“Half of My Heart” closed the initial set, and after calling people out who don’t like to sing, he had the whole crowd singing along to the song. The amphitheater turned into a giant bar and fans went even crazier when he sang half of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” in the middle.

The encore brought John, Robbie McCintosh, and David Ryan Harris back to the stage with their acoustic guitars. From there, they went into a beautiful acoustic version of “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room”. Gotta love how he can play a song like that electric or acoustic and make it sound like two totally different songs. It was awesome.

Petty’s “Free Fallin’” came next, and the whole band came back onstage for “Edge of Desire” to close the night again. This song is definitely going to continue to get more and more powerful as the tour progresses.

Overall, it was a great night. He played a lot of the same songs, but even if he brought out the same set list, it’d be a different show. No matter what, he’s good to play the songs differently every time, which is one of the many reasons I like to go to as many shows again.

Looking forward to keeping track of his shows for the next two weeks, then it’s number three for the summer in Bristow, VA.

Can’t wait…

D.

"It's been a long night in [Charlotte]..."

I was catching up on the John Mayer message board “My Stupid Mouth” the other day and read a post claiming that Mayer recently said he feels rusty the first few shows of every tour. The person quoting him went on to say “I like to think of it as fresh.”

Well, the 2010 John Mayer Summer Tour began in Charlotte, NC last night, and it was EPIC.

Mayer came to the stage with several members of his Winter Tour band as well as a revival of the horn section seen over the last few years, including saxophonist Bob Reynolds. They stepped up to their respective instruments and mics and brought a swagger that was anything but “rusty”.

John kicked the set list off with a little blues groove of “Chest Fever” by The Band that got everybody into rhythm. The fans were swaying and gold guitar in hand, he jammed into “Vultures” to officially start the tour.

From there he swapped to his acoustic, and the bass and keys kicked off the booming intro to “Clarity.” You can tell he loves to play this one in the summer, and it was right at home with the hot night and the return of the horns.

After “Clarity,” he took us way back to “No Such Thing,” and at this point, I had no idea what to expect for the rest of the show. We were three songs in, and he was already continually surprising us.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” came next, with its slow bass line and Mayer making the guitar sing. It was the only full cover he played, and he definitely did the song justice, groovin’ with a gritty blues vibe that fits perfectly into the sticky summer weather.

He picked up the pace after this and completely ROCKED “Heartbreak Warfare,” singing louder and faster than other live versions. His head bobbed, he jumped up and down, and you could really FEEL the frustration and emotion the song sings about coming from the stage. He joked after the song that “that was the ‘punk’ version of ‘Heartbreak Warfare’, folks,” and it was high energy!

From there he went into “Perfectly Lonely,” saying it’s a great song for the summer, even though no one ever REALLY wants to be alone. Then he broke out “The Black One” to play “Gravity” in the middle of the set! Hearing this so early threw even more of a curveball as to guess what he might play the rest of the night, because it’s been more of a late song in the past. Of course, it wouldn’t matter if he opened with this track, because his heart pours out of the guitar every time he plays it. It’s his blues prayer, and we’re the eager congregation listening to and relating to the message. Gotta love it.

After “Gravity” he pulled a 180 and played “Assassin.” It was “killer” (pun intended, thank you), and I love how he fluctuates his song choices from slow and soulful to rocking and loud so well. He definitely knows how to keep everyone on their toes.

“Who Says” came next, where everyone freaked out when he sang “It’s been a long night in Charlotte, too…”

Then he put his guitar down for a UKELELE! Most of the band stepped back as he began to pluck “Do You Know Me.” The lights got dim, the mood turned mellow, and Mayer made the uke sing like a guitar. As the song progressed, the return of Bob Reynolds was truly felt as he and Mayer jammed together in what turned out to be one of the coolest moments of the night.

Mayer picked up the pace again when the song was done and played “Bigger Than My Body,” which always gets people on their feet.

He then went into “Half of my Heart” as the last song before the encore, saying that it felt good to have a big radio hit again. He talked about how before this song hit the charts, he was ready to move on to the next record, but then BOOM, “Half of My Heart.” Mayer explained it like an old race-car video game where just as the car is about to slow down to a stop, you hit a checkpoint and BAM, you’re moving fast again. That’s what this song did for him.

The groove was nice, and he teased us with “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, as well as “Carolina on My Mind” by James Taylor, which really got the crowd going.

After this he thanked everyone and went backstage to prepare for the encore. The crowd rocked and clapped and screamed for several minutes, but he was nowhere to be seen.

And then the screams from the lawn burst open. He was on a platform in front of them and began to sing “Stop This Train.” Mayer has always made a point to thank the “lawn people” for their attendance at his shows, but this was something new, and a really cool gesture for the people in the back. You could hear their screams coming through his mic, but he kept playing and it was a really special moment.

“Why Georgia” came next, and the part that he gets the crowd to sing along to was louder than ever because he was swimming in a sea of fans at this point. As he progressed through the song, the rest of the band snuck back on stage, and he made it back to the front.

The crowd was still going crazy and the spotlight shone on Mayer again as he began the riff to “Edge of Desire”. The song picked up and the lights got bright again, and the band joined in for the final song of the evening. The longing and passion of the song poured out from the guitar, and Mayer adamantly thanked the fans as he walked off stage.

It was a great first night in Charlotte, full of energy and passion. While he played several songs from “Battle Studies,” he threw so many others into the mix that it will be tough to guess what he’ll play on any given night. If last night’s show was any indicator of how the tour will go, it’s going to be a great summer.

See you guys in Raleigh, and on the road…

D.

Resistance.

I’m reading a book by Donald Miller called “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.” It’s been pretty interesting so far, and he always makes great points I like to highlight and underline to save for later.

One that struck me today was actually from a guy named Steven Pressfield that Miller was quoting. In a book on writing that Pressfield wrote, he said “A writer has to sit down every day and write, regardless of how he feels…you can sit around and wait for inspiration to come, but you’ll never finish [anything].”

Pressfield went on to say that every creative person faces resistance when trying to create something good. “Resistance, a kind of feeling that comes against you when you point toward a distant horizon, is a sure sign that you are supposed to do the thing in the first place.”

This hit me today. I got home from the beach a little while ago. It was hard to leave, as it always is, but this time around it felt different. I’d been looking forward to the trip for a long time, and I knew inside that it was the last real vacation I’d have before school starts. That’s where the resistance came into play.

I always take a last walk down to the ocean when I’m about to leave the beach. Looking out today, the ocean was calm, but there was a dark storm to my right, the south. It was chilly out because it’d been raining off and on all morning, but it felt nice. I went down to the water and stuck my feet in, and knelt down to wash my hands and dip my old Auburn hat (which is my version of Indiana Jones’ fedora). It’s a ritual I go through whenever I leave the ocean. I like to stare out and imagine how far it goes. I turn my back to the commercialism of the area and soak it in to store the memory for when I get home. It’s good to think about when things get overwhelming.

Today was a little different. It was beautiful, but I had a weird feeling in my stomach. I knew it was the thought of school coming up so fast. It was this resistance. Resistance to change, or to something new. School will bring both, and I truly am excited, but I’m nervous too.

My mom was on the beach with me and I told her I haven’t been this nervous about something new since I was 18 and starting college. I’ve done a lot since then, but this one seems BIGGER.

But I like what Miller said, via Pressfield. I’m pointing towards a distant horizon, and I know I’ve got a ways to go before I get there. I like thinking that this hesitation-mixed-with-excitement is a sign that this is something I’m definitely supposed to do.

This got me thinking even more on the way home.

There are things in life where the anticipation is greater than the event. This can be a good thing or a bad thing.

With shots, it’s a good thing, because the anticipation of the event is MUCH bigger than the actual needle, and when you close your eyes and grit your teeth to deal with it, the doctor says it’s over before you even feel it.

With holidays like Christmas, it’s kind of a bad thing. As wonderful as Christmas is, the excitement leading up to the day is always SO GREAT that oftentimes the meaning and the event get overlooked. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas and everything it brings, but it’s always kind of sad the next day when you realize another one has passed.

The resistance I’m feeling about school right now is a combination of both kinds of anticipation. The good kind is there, where I’m nervous about school and taking on the workload, but I know it won’t be nearly as bad as I think it could be. The other kind is there too, where I’m REALLY excited and ready to jump in, knowing I have to embrace it as it comes, because like everything else, it’ll be over before I know it.

I’ve got 11 days of freedom left. I miss the ocean and my family, but I’m ready to enjoy this last bit of time and get the sails ready for the next journey…

D.

Margaritas.

It’s my last night at the beach with my family and I really wanted a margarita. Went to the grocery, bought the mix, and made it happen.

It was frozen and delicious, and I gotta say I thoroughly enjoyed sipping on it as the sun set and the thumbnail moon began to rise.

That being said, it made me think of a conversation I had the other day in which I used and example of something I’ve done before but in a way in which I acted like I’d never done it. I know that makes no sense whatsoever, so here’s a little more explanation before I get into it:

Last fall, I was craving a margarita. It was October-ish, so there were hot nights mixed in with the cool ones. I went to the store and bought the frozen mix and got home ready to blend away, but didn’t think about the tequila aspect of the concoction. When I got back, I realized that the only tequila in the house was some leftover Patron I’d bought to celebrate a birthday a few months back.

I realize that Patron is the high rolling brand. I take pride in drinking it from time to time, when the occasion is right, and I want to feel like John Mayer. Or T.I. I also realize that blending it into a $2 can of margarita mix is a waste, because you could blend gasoline into it and it would taste the same.

This being said, I picked up the little clear bottle, pulled the cork and dumped it into the blender. I REALLY wanted a margarita!

My dad walked into the kitchen as I was doing this and couldn’t believe what I was doing.

“How can you use PATRON in a MARGARITA?!” he said. “That’s such a waste!”

I’d like to say I felt shameful, but I didn’t, and it was delicious. He tells people this story even now, and no one else can believe it either. Oh well.

THIS BEING SAID:

I was talking to my cousin the other day and I used the analogy “That’s like using PATRON in a MARGARITA!” to explain the stupidity of wasting something for no good reason. I knew I was going to use this analogy, and when he laughed and agreed with me, I smiled inside thinking, “HA! I’ve done this, but nobody knows!”

Funny thing is, I do this relatively often. I can’t think of any other concrete examples right now, but this popped in my mind tonight. I feel like we’re all guilty of this from time to time.

You ever do it? Ever say something as a joke that you’re embarrassed about or don’t want everyone to know about that you’ve done and laugh it off like you have NO CLUE of anyone who would actually do something that STUPID? Haha…it’s actually pretty fun, because the people in the conversation think the joke’s on someone else when it’s actually on THEM!

Anyway. I used Jose this time. Salt on the rim and a slice of lime, too. Mmmm.

D.

Creativity Returns...

I start grad school in two weeks. I’ve been out of school for TWO YEARS. Both of these facts seem unbelievable to me.

Never thought I’d go to grad school. I always figured the last time I’d apply to college was when I was 17 and deciding between State and Carolina. Even with a degree fresh off the press and in hand two years ago, I never thought I would apply.

But as time keeps moving, things keep changing.

I’ve had some down time today and I decided to look back over a handful of blogs I wrote in the months before college graduation. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again: I was the same, but I was different.

It was refreshing to read the old material. I was going through a lot of different things at the time, but I had this confident outlook on everything. Something I always focused on at the time was moving FORWARD and picking up new experiences while avoiding the temptation and comfort of falling back to different lows and still points. Since then, this philosophy has become something I try to live by, and it can still be a struggle for me from time to time.

I really do want to write more. I say this all the time, but I really FEEL it now. Until the beach, inspiration to write has been kind of tough for me lately. Don’t know why exactly, except that I see it as working out or playing an instrument: the more you do it, the stronger and better you get.

My grandfather used to joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

The answer: “Practice, practice, practice.”

Writing is totally the same way. Instead of moving to a heavier weight or learning a new song, the more you write, the more you can find inspiration from everything around you. Like the Force, it FLOWS (Star Wars nerd in me, sorr-nope not gonna apologize).

Two years ago, I was all OVER it, and I think getting back into the rhythm of school will help me again. Carra keeps saying it’ll give me an opportunity to really USE my creativity again, and the more I think about that, the more excited I get.

A lot has gone down in the two years since school. I worked in CO and I saw John Mayer play 11 times (counting the three shows I’ll see in the next few weeks). I started dating a girl I’ve grown to love and I started really missing my sister because she moved to another state (although we keep in touch pretty well again these days). I’ve been to the weddings of six friends (including one in which I was the Best Man and two in which I’ve been a groomsman) and I’ve set foot in 16 states. I’ve hiked the Rockies, touched two oceans, and sipped tequila in Mexico. I got one more tattoo but I’m ready for another. I’ve taken pics of concerts and sunsets and sunrises and the moon. I worked in an organic pizza restaurant for a great boss and learned more patience from the customers. NC State still struggled in sports and I still love them as much as I did when I was 12.

It’s been a ride, as LIFE always is, and I’m looking forward to this next step. It’s a great opportunity, and I’m thankful to be able to build on what I’ve already learned.

At the least, I’ll be able to look more impressive on paper, haha, and no matter what, I look forward to the return to creativity. It wasn’t gone…I just took a little break…

Two weeks. Whew.

Drew.

Trading riffs.

Went out on the deck today with my guitar and stared at the ocean for a while. I needed some quiet time and just started playing. Didn’t know what I’d play necessarily, just that I wanted to hear the chords and feel the strings and the sounds.

It was cool because the sun was dropping fast behind my back and light looked orange on the sand and the reeds. They rocked back and forth with the wind as I watched the waves roll over the surf.

Things lined up for a while, and I just traded riffs with the ocean.

My mind wandered as I sat, and I thought about school and work and how fast life was moving. I watched a seagull or two fly overhead against the wind, and saw American and South Carolina flags blowing to my right. I looked down at my guitar at one point and thought of a lady in a meeting I used to attend who dealt with her own issues and told me her son played guitar. On my last day with the group she told me to “keep playing that geetar,” and that doing so would help me focus on bigger things. I hope she is at least where I am now in dealing with these things, if not better.

The reeds were crazy-green in the glow of the dusk and the waves kept rolling. Families walked by on the beach to pose for future Christmas cards in their white shirts, and as time kept moving, I kept strumming.

It was clarity, and it was nice, like church bells and wind chimes.

D.

On Watches.

I'm a big fan of watches. Mayer kind of got me into them a few years ago, and now I'm hooked. I only have two right now, because I'm not loaded with money or anything, but I like the ones I have, and I'm always on the lookout for cool new ones. They're also something I always complement people for, whether I'm at work or out on the road somewhere. I like big faceplates and multi-colors and cool bands, and I like being able to look at the analog face on my wrist without opening the LCD screen on my cell phone or turning on my iPod. It's always a comfortable weight on my arm, and I feel naked when I'm not wearing one.

The only time I DON'T wear my watch (on purpose) is at the beach. The superficial reason would be fear of sand in the gears or water damage, but the REAL reason is that there's no point. Am I right? Besides liking watches, I'm a big fan of the concept of TIME in general. It's fluid. It's motion. It never stops, but it's not concrete. It just keeps going.

Wearing a watch is a way to try and measure it, but in reality, it's just an estimate. An estimate that keeps us both comfortable and stressed as we go about our daily lives, depending on what we're going through or where we need to be.

Not wearing one at the beach or while on vacation is kind of liberating. When you've got nothing to do and nowhere to be, it's nice to ignore it for a while. I sleep in here, wake up, hit the sand, chill, and go to bed when I'm tired (which might be pretty soon now). There's never a real schedule and we make it through the days in the most laid back way possible.

Time isn't measured here, but SPENT.

It's spent relaxing. It's spent eating. It's spent feeling the wind and listening to the waves and soaking up the sun. And it's spent hanging out with family.

I'll definitely put my watch on again when I leave here, covering the darker shade of skin I'll acquire on my wrist, because I'll need it when I go. But for now, I'll leave it on the dresser and measure time by counting waves and building sand castles...

D.