If I could begin and end every summer day at the beach the way I did today, I would be eternally happy. I squeezed in a refreshing, early morning bike ride before work, and I toasted the summer solstice with a champagne picnic at the ocean’s edge at 7:09 p.m. — complete with shrimp cocktail, cheese and crackers, and the boyfriend. =)

On this first day of summer, I vow to make every attempt to spend as much time enjoying the sun, sand and surf as possible — riding my beach cruiser at dawn, strolling the boardwalk at lunch, catching those last few rays after work, and taking plenty of cool dips in the Atlantic.

Come September, there will be no, “Oh, I wish I had spent more time outside” or “Where did the summer go?” or “I should have found the time for more beach days.” Not this year.

The summer is mine to squander or fill with magic moments like today, and I choose the latter.