one perfect day
when i think about the happiest day i had this year, the answer surprises even me. you see, i was on a bit of an errand, which was the only reason that it happened at all.
it was the weekend before the conference, and i needed to scope out the beaches on offer, to figure out which one i should get everyone to meet at.
i woke up late, but that was fine, since it was early august and the days are long and bright. i packed my lunch, got an iced coffee and a delicious sandwich from the deli down the road, and then took the train to toronto.
i whiled away the time on the train, sometimes reading, sometimes bothering claude, sometimes chatting with friends in discord.
from toronto union station, i walked ten minutes to the ferry docks, and then i rode the ferry to centre island. that ferry ride took me right back to when i was sixteen, the summer i worked on the island. i remembered to pack a hoodie because it's always colder than you expect on the ferry, and i put it on. i listened to the hum of the engine and the splash of the waves, enjoying the sight of how they crest outwards from the sides of the ship.
delightfully, there is a new bikeshare service on the island that wasn't there ten years ago. i take advantage of the cheap day pass, and i was able to scope out all the beaches i needed to in a third of the time than i thought i needed. at the spot i settle on, i wade into the lake and enjoy the way the cool water laps around my calves. it was a glorious august day, blazing hot downtown but a few degrees cooler on the island, with a nice breeze.
i ride the bike around the island some more, and enjoy the scenery. i come across a secluded picnic bench in the shade right by the water, and decide that i'm hungry enough for lunch - slices of a nice ciabatta, a hard cheese and a soft one, some really good pepperoni sticks. for dessert, i packed a container of jumbo, in-season cherries.
i eat my food slowly and enjoy the view, the sound of the water. some ducks and sailboats go by. it's chillier in the shade, and i pull on the hoodie again.
there was no one in the world who knew where i was, nothing else i need to do for the day, and a pile of cherries in front of me.
what bliss! but also, how unexpected! i think of myself as someone who's quite good at optimizing for her own happiness. i love my apartment, my social life, my work, the big ambitious projects i pull off with sprezzatura, and none of that happened by pure luck. so then, why hadn't i made time for days like this?