I’m not a fan of summer. I do not like being hot. I like sweating even less. I would stay inside all summer, if I could, but my dogs, job, and the social responsibility of my yard make that impossible. The only thing that saves summer for me is the beach. I love the beach. As someone who promotes juvenescence, the beach is the perfect stage.

At the beach, being chill and taking naps is encouraged. There’s no powering through the day to be as productive as possible. The beach actually, naturally, works against any attempts at big adult thoughts. You start to have one and then —Sploosh! — a big wave takes you out. Then you try to have another one and —Yoo-Hoo! — calls that unique shell, half hiding in the sand. You’re about to contemplate something real adult-like and then — Swoosh! — a seagull flies by and steals that chip right out of your hand. Look! A ghost crab! And what just jumped out of the water? Did you see that? Ayeeee! Something slimy just brushed my leg!

Can’t concentrate, can you? It’s okay. Give in to the sound of the waves. Be mesmerized by the sun rays shimmering across the water. Let your most earnest query be, “Is that a buoy or a lighthouse in the distance?” Did you even realize you single-handedly built a mud castle while you watched that pelican dive for lunch? Who can spit their cherry seeds the farthest? Who can hold their handstand the longest in the waves? Go ahead, pretend you’re a mermaid or a pirate. Everyone’s doing it. Let go. Hakuna Matata. Live Aloha. But put on your sunscreen. Seriously. A sunburn will erase all the fun.