As Clint was preparing to head to the desert, we’d be remiss not to make a trip to the beach. So we did just that. We got a van, grabbed a couple of friends and made our way to paradise. Shimoda was just as lovely as last year, but more enjoyable with barely any visitors. It was early in the season, so only a few intrepid surfers and swimmers made it into the water. I enjoyed the early summer sun, while the guys tested their endurance in the frigid ocean.

We explored a bunker, hiked volcanic rocks in sandals, and had a short stint as marine biologists. Sea slugs are gross.