In the happy confluence of destiny that life occasionally deigns to throw our way, this past winter what was supposed to be a quiet getaway for our friend JoAnn turned into a threesome when Andy’s cousin Tyler and his boyfriend Kevin asked if they could stop by on the same weekend. Tyler and Kevin were planning on going to a family party further north, and JoAnn was already cozily ensconced in the attic loft. Our upstate New York winter made other plans for the boys, as a snowstorm barreled down on the entire area, canceling their party plans and stranding us all indoors for the wintry weekend. It was there, amid the falling snow and winter doldrums that JoAnn proposed the idea of a summer getaway at the end of the world. She described a scene of idyllic charm and natural beauty, accentuated by a pair of friends – David and Francois – who sounded as enchanting as the pair of houses that stood in rarefied stead in the dunes of Provincetown. Entranced by her stories, we were instantly on board, and she vowed to work her magic to see if she might bring us along someday.
And so it was that we found ourselves snaking through the early Saturday morning traffic along Route 6 on a sunny summer day, a far cry from the winter scenario that birthed the trip, and as we passed the row houses that marked the entrance to Provincetown, I felt the familiar thrill of returning to a place that had first captured my heart and imagination over a quarter of a century ago. This visit was decidedly different, as we took a turn toward the dunes and away from the town, where only a few ever get to go…
A curving tree-lined path led us to the entrance to the seashore, where JoAnn’s friend graciously arrived in a truck to bring us to the pair of shacks he inhabited for the summer. Getting to the dunes is no easy feat. Dave told us tales of hapless visitors who neglected to let enough air out of their tires to traverse the sandy, and often steep, landscape. One could easily get stuck or stranded if they ignored the requisite rules of these roads. Dave expertly guided us through the rolling hills of sand. The world we had known disappeared behind these dunes and a new one opened up before us. I wondered if others would define their lives before and after the dunes. What lessons would such beauty gift to us?
Arriving at the main shack, we were greeted by the friendly wave of Francois, already at work inside, while Dave brought us to the little house where we’d be staying. A pair of sumptuous beds was made up, and a bank of windows looked directly out to the ocean. The unobstructed view stilled my step, and a wave of gratitude overcame me as I realized we’d be sleeping right on the shore. It would be the first of many moments when I’d pause to be fully present.
After settling in, we joined Dave and Francois for a lunch of burgers and various salads. As is most often the case, food simply tasted better by the shore, and when mixed with good company it made things even more delicious. Listening to the story of how Dave and Francois came to be friends, I was grateful for JoAnn for bringing us into this enchanted world, and grateful to Dave and Francois for being so graciously welcoming. To feel such kindness in the world was an antidote to all the awfulness the last few years have brought.
We let down our guards, and allowed the sun and the sea to cast their spells…
