S'MORE SUMMER

Summer has finally sunk in, which means for the next few months, I will be three things: at the beach, at a show or in the park. God willing, two or even three of those can happen simultaneously! This week was a great kickoff with my favorite music fest taking over north Brooklyn and the first venture into the ocean of the year.

Northside Festival is the most hip music fest I know of happening in NY. It is the only one which brings the fest to Brooklyn where, guess what, all of the Brooklyn bands who are defining the music scene already are. Taking over multiple venues, killer showcases are curated by music publications and in-the-knows like The Deli, TomTom Magazine or 33 1/3. The sets are short and eclectic. You might see four disparate bands on the same stage at a venue that just opened last week. You might see Brian Wilson perform Pet Sounds live in McCarren Park and feel your brain melt out of your ears. At any rate, you have an awesome, accessible and affordable pile of music in your lap for the weekend.

Second exciting bit of this week, and forgive me for sounding like every person who has ever stepped off a log and back to land, IWENTSURFINGANDITISTHEBESTFEELINGTHATCANEVERHAPPENTOAPERSON. Thanks entirely to an enthusiastic friend who has been honing her surfing skills over the last two summers, I hopped up on a board atop the waves of the ocean for the first time in two years.

It. Was. Marvelous.

Despite bonking my arm good and hard against the board a few minutes in (remember: the ocean is always moving), we had a really good time out. Alex was trying out a slick new board acquired at the Surf Club Board Swap that was thinner and slipperier than her usual. I opted to rent the biggest beach cruiser of a foam board available from Breakwater (Steps from the A train! Friendly and affordable!) so I could build up my confidence and be sure to stand up a couple of times. Girl ain't got no shame. If you have a morning or afternoon free to try, renting a board is only $35 for a couple of hours. Wetsuits are available, too, for $15, though you might not need them for much longer!