At some point I think we all hit a time where we just need a break; we need a getaway from reality for just a minute. Unfortunately, although I'm sure we'd all love to, we can't just always drop everything and go to Hawaii, or Europe, or Mexico. How do we relax then? Where do we go? To me a lake house is the epitome of relaxation.

For some reason it feels much calmer. Maybe it's because you're actually sitting and reading a book instead of running around trying to do five things at once. Or maybe it's because your lake house is in a quite town and neighborhood so when you wake up in the morning it's quiet and peaceful. Or maybe it's just the mere fact that you can not worry about work for a couple days and just let your mind wander without stress getting in the way.

For some reason too, a campfire seems all the greater an idea when you're not at home but at a lake house. S'mores are one of the things you look forward to the most. Then when it gets really dark and you're starting to get tired, you look up and just look at the stars above you. It's funny how when we are at home, at least for me, life gets in the way. The small things like looking at the stars is rarely thought of to do. But, in that moment by the campfire, that's all you do, and it's refreshing, it's calming, and it seems as though, for a moment, time has stopped, stress is gone, and you're just enjoying the peace.

Another thing that seems to never come to my mind when I'm at home, is playing outdoor games. Playing games like bag toss, ladder ball, or bocce ball is so much more fun when you're not at home. Don't ask why, maybe it's just the fact that there's finally spare time in the day to enjoy it instead of being exhausted from a long day and trying to play.

Obviously a HUGE bonus for me personally is the swimming that comes along with the lake house. You're dying of the summer heat? No problem there's a lake right down the street that you can just jump in and out of at your leisure! Who doesn't love a good old swim and laying on the warm beach sand.

Honestly though, the one big thing about a lake house is that all of this is done with family and people you love that make you laugh and forget about the stress back home for a few days. It's about spending time with the people that matter most in life. It's about relaxing and being able to enjoy meaningful conversations with those around you that you may be too tired to even consider talking to in your daily life. It's about the laughs that are surrounding the campfire at night. It's about playing those yard games and friendly competition among your family. It's about going swimming and enjoying the warmth of the sun while being surrounded by good company. Most importantly, it's about the people you're with and the memories you make along the way.