Summer has arrived in South Florida. I could tell as soon as I walked out the door to walk–there’s the humidity, of course. And if you look up at any of the bigger, older trees in the area, the ferns that were shriveled and dried beyond life just two days ago, today are green and lush and exuberant again. The pool isn’t quite warm enough. Maria got in, I could only stand to get to the second step. But by next week–I bet we’ll be in again.

This evening, I booked my flights. I head to Newark on Aug 1 and then take an overnight flight on SAS to Stockholm. This year, my dad has rented a house on Ljusterö, one of the islands in the archipelago.

I’ll get off the plane and go straight to the ferry I rode on with my dad last year. Hans, my Dutch brother, and Anne Marie, his partner, will have spent almost two weeks with Dad by then and my visit will overlap with theirs for about 4 days. A few days before the end of my visit, Nils, my other brother, Laura, his wife, and Isabel Ann, my niece will come from the UK. I will get to meet my mother’s namesake. In all, my dad will get to spend a month enjoying his beloved archipelago. And he will have done it with all three of his children. He turns 86 in June and has said this is his last trip to the homeland. Sweet, sweet days ahead…