I had a very arduous proofreading shift today, pretty much eight non-stop hours of reading investment material. My eyes were burning by the time 2PM came around. I headed right to the beach for a beer, even knowing that I’d be paying $30 (with the tip) for a beer I had in the fridge and which was bought for half that.

But home doesn’t have:

-live music

-cute servers and lifeguards

-empanada vendors (met her last year; she sells pie crusts folded in half and filled with fruit compote, a lovely treat that goes well with beer!)

-those special rays of sunlight that bounce over the water

-waves and surf

-children laughing as they play in the sand and water

-the spectacle of dogs playing fetch

-and much more

I get a lot more value out of the $30 I spend on the beach for beer than I do the $15 I spend at the store for beer to drink at home.