Dan and I travel the world (usually in Spring and Fall) and try to fit in a ski holiday during the Winter. But summer, ah summer - lazy weekends in Toronto or with friends at their cottage and, the best part, our annual foray to the Muskokas (the lakes north of Toronto). We have been renting the same cottage for about 20 years and have seen it from its 1940's rustic originality (mice included) through to the renovated home away from home that we now enjoy. Cottage county is special. After many years, we're finally accepted on the lake as the renters.

It takes weeks of organizing the food menus and buying the right books for dockside reading, and hours to pack the car, but when we arrive we breathe in a different way. Friends and family who we see too rarely arrive at different times and for different lengths of stay during our two weeks and we all spend our time just being. There is no better experience than a sunrise or midnight swim in the lake. Nothing more fun than running around the cottage searching out candles and matches because the electricity has gone out again during the regular August thunderstorms. Nothing better than that first walk around the lake to look at the improvements cottage owners have made since we were last there. Nothing more relaxing than getting into the canoe to explore the latest renovations to the beaver dam. What other time in your life would you spend an hour throwing sticks (pieces of trees really) into the water for the Labs to retrieve?

The best part? Negotiating over breakfast about who will put on city clothes (shoes and a clean t-shirt) to go into Bracebridge to replenish supplies. We are all so settled into cottage mode that no one wants to volunteer.

I am convinced that no matter where I may live in the world, I'll make time for my two weeks at the cottage.

Lucy in Toronto making up the grocery list