I just returned from a vacation in my own backyard. Okay, I wasn’t exactly in my backyard, but I was pretty darn close. This year, we decided for the first time in ages to take a summer vacation. What’s so unusual about that, you might ask. We’re beach people who are lucky enough to live within easy access distance of some of the most beautiful beaches on the Massachusetts coastline. In other words, vacation or not, we spend most of our free time from May to October at the beach. So, this year’s vacation wasn’t so much about the destination (the beach of course). It was about shaking up our routines, weaning ourselves from email and voicemail, and remembering how to live in the moment. We ventured just 70 miles to the Cape Cod town of Orleans where we settled into a rented house about a miles from Nauset Beach. And a funny thing happened on the way to tranquility. Instead of getting caught up on email first thing every morning, I went out to a local bakery to pick up breakfast and the daily newspapers – then I read them all cover to cover. Instead of grabbing a snack and eating in front of my computer, I packed a lunch and headed for the beach. Instead of sticking my nose in my issue workbook to review pages in progress, I reclined in my beach chair and watched a herd of seals frolic offshore. And instead of returning to the computer after dinner, I stretched out on the deck and watched the stars fill the night sky. I’m back at my computer now, but it’s with a renewed enthusiasm. Sometimes it’s necessary to shake up your routine a bit in order to appreciate all the good things about life. -Lisa Matte, editor-in-chief