My friends and I like to send each other pictures of the tackiest beach house signs we come across, predominantly pun-filled signs proclaiming a Margaritaville state of mind. this The house faces a sandy beach. Signs are made of painted driftwood and read things like “The Sand is My Neighborhood,” “It's Always Five O'clock Here,” and “If You're Not Barefoot, You're Too Dressed,” all variations on the summer vacation theme “Life is a Beach.” Relax in your brightly colored swimsuit and sip a cold cocktail garnished with a slice of pineapple.
I think this is one of the problems non-beach-goers have with beaches: they're expected to take it easy, be carefree, have fun, and not worry about the constant bites of invisible bugs. Non-beach-goers lament that the beach is one of the few places where you can't always get everything you want (which is exactly why they recommend it to others). So you need to be prepared for any eventuality that might send you to a remote location with unpredictable weather and terrain for six months, maybe even on the moon.
As a kid, the beach was simple — there was nothing I loved more than sitting on the sand all day in a wet swimsuit, building water castles and watching ice cream cones melt down my arms. But as a teenager, a combination of body shame and a desire to look as vampirish and Vitamin D-deficient as the goth musicians I idolized turned me into someone who wanted nothing to do with the sun and therefore the plastic fun the beach was selling me.
It wasn’t until I became an adult that I understood that there are many different ways to spend time at the beach and live the beach-loving life. The beach is also a place where you come and enjoy a whole day with your family, complete with inflatable seahorses, economy-sized bottles of SPF 75, and a cooler of soft drinks. It is also a place where you spend a Tuesday afternoon alone with just a towel, a hat, and a book. The beach is a place that is so loaded with so much preparation and expectation that we forget that it is just a place. We project all kinds of meanings onto the place, but in reality, it has no meaning that we have not given it. The beach does not force us to have a particular good time there. It is land and water, evidence of the workings of the earth, of erosion and sedimentation, of tides and currents.
For me, the beach has become participatory performance art. I love watching people expose themselves on the beach in the sun. I love seeing how they dress, what music they blast, how they claim territory, their unique rituals and accessories.
I love the community aspect. Your music is my music, for better or worse, because you are my neighbor for a day and this is our temporary neighborhood. I love eavesdropping on people's conversations, watching how they discipline their kids, and offering a little tip if they seem interested. I even love those dangerous moments when a strong wind blows through and someone's giant beach umbrella that was improperly secured breaks free and flies dangerously down the sand.
My sun-drunk, foggy head tells me we’re all in the same boat. Today, we live here, not in a house or an apartment with air conditioning or Wi-Fi or a roof, but here, outside, exposed to the elements and seagulls and the gazes of strangers. Today, we agree that life really is a beach, or at least this beach, and we’re here, living it as luxuriously as we can.
For many
Culture Week
Cultural Calendar
📺 “bear” (Thursday): In the Hulu show's previous season, Carmy Belzatto and his team had just weeks to open a fine-dining restaurant, which, as The Times' James Poniewozik wrote in his review, summed up the show's raison d'être: to portray “the curses and blessings of having a calling.”
“Fishes,” a flashback episode set at a stressful holiday dinner, is the show's best yet. Featuring thrilling guest appearances from Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, John Mulaney, and Sarah Paulson, it's packed with heartbreaking relationships, complex characters, and slow-simmering storylines. It's well worth a rewatch before the new season begins, or at least read this summary from Vulture.
Recipe of the week
Cherry tomato and white bean salad
This five-star recipe by Lidey Heuck knows you want to swap out or add ingredients, and judging by reader reviews, this recipe does just that. Toss in whatever soft herbs you have, add some grilled chicken or canned tuna, and serve cold or at room temperature. With very little prep, it's a refreshing dish perfect for a hot summer day.
real estate
hunting: They moved to Rome and were looking for a two-bedroom apartment with a terrace in the center. What can you buy with a budget of $950,000? Join our game.
For $1.5 million you get: In Prague, you can buy a three-bedroom loft in a converted factory, a two-bedroom apartment in a 16th-century house, or a detached villa in a leafy residential area.
scent: Photosynthesis was the inspiration for a new fragrance developed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton.
Dental Health: According to experts, these five habits could do surprising damage to your teeth.
trip: Spend 36 hours in Portland, Maine.
Back pain: Walking can be a powerful therapy.
Advice from WIRECUTTER
Create a great hairstyle in 10 seconds
I think of the “mommy bun” as a loose loop of hair that you throw around your neck on days when you have more important things to do than hair. It's quick and functional, and it's not supposed to look good or bad, it just is. But after six years of parenting, I sometimes do I want my hair to be… something. Plastic claw clips and scrunchies are back in style, but I find both cumbersome and too casual. My solution is this affordable and stylish little bobby pin. With one hand, I twist my hair into a low bun. With the other hand, I poke the teeth of the pin downward and move it back and forth to secure it in place. That's it. The steel core means there's absolutely no wiggle or loosening, and my updo stays in place just as well as mom's bun, but with a lot more sophistication. Hannah Morrill
US Olympic Swimming Qualifiers: Indianapolis' massive Lucas Oil Stadium was packed last week with America's best swimmers competing for a spot on the Olympic team. The U.S. has always fielded some of the best swimming teams in the world, and this year they look to field another strong team.
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Seven-time gold medalist Katie Ledecky returns, as does Caleb Dressel, who won five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Two world records were broken in the heats: Gretchen Walsh in the 100m butterfly and Regan Smith in the 100m backstroke.
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Seventeen-year-old Thomas Heilmann won the 200-meter butterfly, the youngest male swimmer to make the team since Michael Phelps joined in 2000 at age 15.
The highlight of the night will likely be the women's 200m individual medley, featuring Kate Douglas and Alex Walsh, both world champions in the event. Tonight and Sunday, 8pm on NBC