Lake Champlain: Vermont and New York

18-21 September 2026

Time, they say, is a thief. Someone about my age was bemoaning on Reddit that when he invites his childhood friend out for a drink these days, a graying man with kids in high school turns up at the pub. In my mind's eye, my friends and I are still in our teens, irresponsible and exuberant. Yet here we are, older than our parents were when we first met. To quote Oliver Burkeman, “the average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” 

This is not to say that life is melancholic or despairing. Quite the contrary. Middle age has been the best age for me. With graying came wisdom, and a settling into the kind of life that I want. I am grateful for old friends, whose eyes twinkle at me with the same fondness and friendship as when we were children. Knowing that time is a thief is just a reminder to spend my time actually living, rather than preparing for some future moment when life should begin.

I had one of those actually-living moments on the ferry across Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York. The weather was breezy and sunny and temperate. The ferry workers loaded us in first, so that sitting in the driver/passenger seat, it felt like we were driving across the water. We had views of the Adirondack mountains. I felt the spray of the water and the gentle rocking of the waves. Serendipitously, the High Horse Band, a string quartet of a fiddler, a cellist, a guitarist, and a bassist, gave an impromptu performance on the viewing deck. The picking and the Bluegrass harmony made for a charmed ferry crossing.

Fortunate are we to have friends all over the USA, including ones who have a delightful cabin overlooking Lake Champlain. Driveway surfing has become a favorite pastime. We bring our own bedroom, and a good bottle of Scotch. My cup is filled with their generosity and friendship.

I have been really skilled at striving, at productivity and efficiency. I haven’t been so proficient at restoration and recovery. I’ve gotten wise to the fact that humans need both: stress and recovery, striving and rest, accomplishment and relaxation. The last 2 years have been a journey in learning to be still. Along the way, I am realizing that life may be absurdly short, but it is wonderful.