It's amazing how something can be so vague, yet make everyone (at least everyone who has been to a lake) think of something so specific. "The Lake" is not just a lake, not just a body of fresh water bound on all sides by land, tucked back in some trees, with waves, sand, stones, and clay. If you ask anyone who knows the true meaning of "The Lake" they will tell you it is so much more than that.
I mean....it is all of those things, because a lake wouldn't be a lake without those things. But "The Lake" is not just a place or a destination; it's a combination of things; It's a complex recipe that is mixed together to create something greater than you could ever order at a restaurant.
Possible Ingredients:
Boat, beach, friends, family, laughter, grill, bare feet, dog, summer nights, sun, hikes, fishing, sunscreen, sunburns, swimming, bonfires, s'mores.
Once you have selected your ingredients, combine into them into thoughts, memories, and adventures. Examples include: Cookouts with friends and family, the first time you got up on water skis, skipping stones into the sunset, and playing corn-hole in the sand (examples may vary). These, then can be added together one at a time to form your own specific definition of "The Lake."
There is no perfect way to combine these ingredients. For everyone it's different, but it's just a different combination of these things that adds up and holds a special place in each individual heart. It's a bunch of little things that add up to something great, just like a bunch of grains of sand add up to form a beach, or like a bunch of little drops of water add up to make a lake.