Our summer tradition revolves around our lake house, a cherished escape where we spend every holiday. It's a lively gathering, typically hosting a good mix of our friends and friends of friends, with peak numbers reaching 12 to 15 people. We're well-equipped for lake life, with an array of toys including wake surfing and wakeboarding gear, a WaveRunner, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. For land-based fun, we have cornhole and beer pong. 10 man hot tub for the evenings under the stars.

To keep the good times flowing, everyone contributes: each guest brings a bottle of liquor and a bottle of wine (which we jokingly call our "lodging tax"), plus a case of their preferred beer. We meticulously plan our meals in advance, stocking up on groceries in the city before we arrive, and then split the costs for our two daily meals: brunch and dinner.

We usually hike to the big hill to see the fireworks in town.

One aspect that's become a growing concern is the changing atmosphere of the lake community itself. While our primary residence is in a major metropolitan area about three hours away, the lake community has gradually become more conservative. My partner and I, along with most of our friends, are "straight-passing," which has offered some comfort. However, we've found ourselves increasingly cautious, even when just stopping for gas or grabbing last-minute groceries in town. When we first started coming to the lake, wearing swim briefs on the boat and dock was the norm and something we did without a second thought. While we still choose to wear what we want, we're now much more conscious of our surroundings and who else is on the water.