Wanderlust urges us to chase new destinations, but there are some places worth running back to over and over again. For me, that place is Nantucket. Having spent over 25 summers on Nantucket, I have grown to fall deeper in love with the magic and comfort this enchanting oasis brings for my family and me.
No one will ever forget the sensation of their very first time visiting the island of Nantucket. Our family suburban was packed to the brim with banged up bicycles after Dad accidently crashed them into the overhanging roof at a McDonalds drive-thru somewhere on the Cape. The sound of the slow ferry’s boisterous horn ignited goose bumps of excitement down my little back. I remember how dogs smiled in the salty breeze as the boat pushed away from shore into the foggy Atlantic toward a place they called ACK.
It was a long 2-hour journey by boat, as my brother gorged himself with clam chowder from the ferry cafeteria before getting sick and garnering the nickname “bucket boy”. My mother excitedly yelled for us to look over the side of the boat, calling our attention to what I would come to know as the Brant Point Lighthouse. We waived our little arms to the strangers playing blissfully along the shore, and to our surprise, they waived right back as if they knew us by name.
And again, another shrill of the boat’s booming horn rang into our ears, signaling that the ferry was docking. Just like that, we touched the island of Nantucket and all of our lives changed forever. Little did we know, Nantucket would become the one place on earth we would always call home no matter how life would run its crazy course. Looking back, I can now see that through all of the years and experiences that would alter our lives for better or worse, Nantucket was the one constant – the one place that never seemed to change through it all.
Back again for another 4th of July weekend, I take a moment to reflect on a place that I know better than most. I frequently find myself gazing at a world map where my mind chases the idea of a shocking new adventure – let’s go to Bali, Bora Bora, Italy, better yet France, how about Thailand, maybe a safari in Africa or the dramatic coast of Vietnam? Despite the thrill of a new pin on the map of travel dreams, I have come to realize that sometimes the best place to visit in the world is the one that is the most familiar. Below are some personal photographs that I snapped in our neighborhood this morning here in Nantucket. I hope you enjoy and have a Happy 4th of July, y’all.
