Well, thank God there are so many wonders right under our noses. I am relieved I don’t have to go all the way to Rio to see Christ the Redeemer (though I am DYING to go to Machu Picchu because everyone I know comes back raving). The point is, like Joan (who is moved by that glorious New York skyline when flying in at dusk, as am I), I feel like there are so many wondrous sights in our own backyards.

Last weekend, I was sitting on the beach in Seaside, FL, on the Gulf Coast, the stretch still affectionately known as the Redneck Riviera. The sand is powdery white, and the water is pale aqua and cobalt — and so clear that day you could easily see your toes. The sun began to go down and the sky turned a hundred different shades of red and orange and pink and purple. And then the water turned silvery and I swear it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen — but then it always is. I am so mad I didn’t capture it for y’all on my iPhone — next trip.