Friday July 2nd, 4:58 pm. I am sitting in my office downtown staring at my email. I am thinking to myself “nothing is coming into my inbox, because everyone is gone already for the weekend”. Countdown begins, 2 minutes until I am out of here. To my right was my rolling suitcase, my black duffle bag tied on top of the suitcase, and my purse. 4:59pm, I can now put papers in my file box and shut down the computer. I slowly stand up, gather my belongings,…tick….tock….5pm. My work day was done, and free I was until Monday morning. With a little extra kick in my step, I waved goodbye to all my coworkers, and walked 20 minutes to the path train (with that entire luggage yes). The Path took me to Hoboken New Jersey. From there, I boarded a NJ Transit train which would take me to Suffern NY, where I would be picked up by car and drive another hour and a half to well; it’s no use in naming the town because it’s not on the map. But it is a darling place in Pennsylvania in the middle of nowhere and I find when I get up there I can breathe. Maybe it’s the lack of cell phone reception. Maybe it’s the endless roads lined with trees, or the beautiful lake. Perhaps it is just the quiet times, and not so quiet times spent with friends. This place is special. And this city mouse left her metro card at home and headed off to the country for a 4th of July weekend filled with boats, fireworks, and bottles of pinot noir. Arrival time: 9pm Friday night.
I spent my childhood coming to this place every 4th of July with my family. It is a family vacation resort which focuses on games, food, and hospitality in the serene setting of the Poconos, on a lake. We stopped the tradition (although my mom likes to say we “paused” it, since she wants to return once my siblings and I have our own children and we can make it a kids trip again) in 2004. However, my best friend still goes up there and I am known to accompany her whenever her NYPD husband can’t make it and she needs a gal pal to make things interesting. Her father built a gorgeous log cabin on the lake in 2004 (that same summer my family took our last trip) and I think I am in love with it. The log cabin is across from the resort, on the other side of the lake making it truly private and not part of the (little) madness that can exist at the resort when a lot of guests are there. You drive down an actual dirt road to get to it, and as a homeowner you get to name your street since really each street is only created so you can get to your house.
Now I can think of a few of my nyc friends who would go stir crazy up there, while I’ve also met PA locals who tell me nyc smells bad and is too crowded. Where do I stand? Well I am meant to live in cities, for so many reasons, but I can hack both. I like to live in the city, and escape to the country. I definitely wouldn’t do it the other way around, but I like the system I have going now. I have no problem turning the phone off, canon balling into a lake, and riding in the back of a truck. Shocking I know, considering at age 4 when I was first instructed to dress myself, I threw the overalls my mom handed me out my bedroom window and came out in a party dress instead. Anyway, my family vacations here were not typical. We didn’t shop, tan, and sleep. In fact, sleep comes last. We played Name that Tune, Family Double Dare, had to be at breakfast at 8am, water skied, paddle boated, played trivia, and watched Theme shows. From sun up to sun down it was family time and you were getting dirty, staying busy, and having a lot of laughs. One year, we had to do a relay race which involved making us human tacos. The resort had constructed giant taco shells made of wood, and we hopped in them one at a time and allowed our teammates to dump everything from refried beans to sour cream on us. Winners were determined based on overall messiness and creativity. Winners also get gold medals. As my friend Michelle would say, “If you can’t have fun here, I need to re evaluate our friendship. Not liking this place is like not liking puppies”. And I might have to agree. So this is where I ended up 4th of July weekend.
On Saturday, a bunch of friends came to Michelles log cabin, and we watched the fireworks on the lake. We even busted out into a sort of drunk rendition of God Bless America. I have it filmed. The next day, the 4th, was spent being ridiculously lazy, but I suppose once and a while that is OK. Although it did start at 6:45 am; when I joined Michelles dad on his boat, which I should mention sits on the lake, in their backyard (or front yard; however which way you think of it). Everyone else was sleeping of course, but I sipped my giant cup of coffee and had good conversation with the man behind the log cabin. It was a beautiful morning, and so unbelievably quiet at that hour. Mr. P says coming up to this place helps him think. I totally get it. Sometimes you need to stop, think, re plan, and go into action again to keep yourself on track. And the city can be a little noisy for such intense life planning. Once everyone else woke up, the day was spent riding around the lake on the boat, eating amazing home cooked food, & even an afternoon nap. That evening, I put my heels on (I managed to wear high heels still even once, because you can’t change who you are just because you’re walking on a dirt road) and we made it over to the resort for a few hours of dancing and seeing more friends in the North Lodge.
Yes life can be twisted sometimes, and maybe not all of you would find peace on a lake. But I feel that sometimes, you can get closer with your family by pouring guacamole on their head and saying you did it for the gold medal first place. I have a lot of love for my friend, her entire family, and any friend of mine from that town up in PA. This blog is for all of them, and to many future nights enjoying life with them.
Check my Recipe Tab on this page for pictures and recipes of the food I ate on the lake. A vegetarian 4th of July, at a table full of meat eaters! :)
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