If you follow me in Instagram, you already know I had an awesome weekend.

This post is going to be a short explanation followed by a ton of pictures. This weekend we went to Lake Erie to stay with some friend's parents who own a house up there. The boy and I were tentative. We didn't know the family at all and the guys aren't really that close. Or weren't, I should say. The weekend was AMAZING. He failed to tell me that his parents had an ENORMOUS, BEAUTIFUL house on the beach. And a boat. And that they were the coolest parents that ever were.

His mom, upon meeting me, made me sit down and tell her everything about me. She literally said, "Start from the beginning, how did you get to Ohio, how did you become a chef, I want to know everything now." Because she wanted to get to know me. And she listened and asked questions and it was so refreshing. She cracked me up the whole weekend with her "what's going on, what's happening" in this impatient way that made me tell her immediately. I can't explain it; she was just awesome. And his dad was calm and stoic, but also extremely interested in getting to know us. One of those people who you chance a glance at and he is hanging on every word, although not saying a word, with a grin on his face. Love it.

You can tell that he had one of the best childhoods anyone could ever ask for. The stories they told were amazing. They DID things. They got hurt and rode wave runners and drove boats and are inseparable to this day from the kids they grew up with. It made the kid inside of me so jealous it hurt. It seems my childhood of reading books and playing barbies just didn't seem to add up. Inadequacies aside, it was one of the most relaxing trips I have ever taken. And I want to go back right now.

Now for the pictures.

This was our room in the apartment above the garage. The fridge was stocked with beer and water. They even had q-tips sitting out in the bathroom. I felt so pampered.

 This is the view from the balcony on our garage apartment (they call it the Seaver Suite.) How jealous are you right now? Their gardens were beautiful.

 This is the beach directly off their patio. I am currently looking in the direction of Cleveland. 

 Our home away from home.

 The view from the beach. This is the front of the house, which I was reminded of repeatedly. REPEATEDLY. Apparently it's quite insulting to call the street side the front. You know, the side with the FRONT DOOR. (I clearly didn't take to this little custom very well.)

 This is BB, the neighbors cat. He made me a Manhattan (the neighbor, not BB) and told me stories about his misspent youth. He took us out on the boat Sunday morning. I haven't been on a boat in at least 15 years. It was exhilarating. And he was one of the coolest men I have ever met. There is apparently a saying, "there are people who know him, and people who don't. I feel sorry for the people who don't." I will definitely be saying this. Often.

 Everyone has to have the picture of the feet in the water on the beach, right? What you can't see is my now even darker flip flop tan. And, no, I do not paint my toenails anymore. I AM SLOWLY TURNING INTO A BOY.

Sunset on Saturday night. Everyone said this is the calmest the lake has been in years. 

We made a bonfire and then proceeded to make smores. 

 There are two brothers that live about 6 houses apart and they were having dueling fireworks. 

 Sunrise Sunday morning. The boy took this because we all know that I was up until 1 am drinking beer by the bonfire and was clearly still in bed. 

 Traffic jam on the way home. Then we missed our exit and had a 20 mile detour to get back on track. And I bruised my tailbone at some point during this whole trip and was in some serious pain the whole time. But, fuck it, it was still the best weekend I have had in a long time and I wouldn't change a damn thing.