As I write this, the Greater Topsail Area is still very much bustling with tourists as folks seek refuge in the form of lounging in pools or wading in the 82 degree ocean water during a late-summer heatwave. We're being told the end of summer is near, but it sure doesn't feel like it if you were to step outside! Even still, kids across the area have now begun their annual migration — returning to school and settling into the typical routines we're all familiar with.

While the end of summer likely makes some sad, I am happy to announce that I am just days away from a few of the best weeks of my life! It's something we locals experience each and every year once the Labor Day holiday weekend comes and goes... a vast openness of Topsail Island's white sand beaches — a calm and quiet — following the mass exodus of tourists. Don't get me wrong, I love our tourists. In fact, most locals understand that vacationers are the bread and butter of our economy around these parts come summertime.

That all said, who wouldn't be happy for a reduction in traffic? Or to have grocery store shelves better stocked? Add in a pleasant reduction to the previously scorching temperatures, while our ocean water remains comfortably warm and suddenly you have a combination that makes for a fabulous September! As long as we can keep those pesky hurricanes far away...

Whether you're staying close to home or traveling for Labor Day, I hope you're able to labor a little less, while enjoying the seasonal change a little more. If you're a parent, perhaps appreciating those few hours without kiddos demanding your attention as they go off to school. Or on that first crisp fall-like morning, heading outdoors to enjoy a warm cup of coffee. Even better yet — experiencing the joyful feeling of plopping down in the sand at one of our local beaches as you count on just one or two hands the amount of people you see within eyeshot. Not all changes in life are bad — some are downright blissful!