I think that maybe once you’ve lived by water, you will always have to. And if you were lucky enough to grow by water, then you know no other way.

Eighteen years of waking up to a large lake has forever altered the beat by which I breathe.  With the megaphones of crew coaches fading in and out of my dreams, the distant hum of waves crashing and shorelines lapping defines the rhythm of my day and is a qualifier for feeling at home. The mere sight of a deep and bountiful body of water meets every expectation that has been honed since childhood, it is dynamic and settling in one fell swoop. Like cookies in the freezer and chaos underway, the view of water – in any capacity – is what makes home, home.

My cookie’s fortune: Boats and water are in your future.

That is the best I’ve ever gotten. This can only mean good things.