A friend recently said to me that spending time together feels like riding bikes during the summer you’re 12—sun on your face, that sense of freedom, and the quiet certainty that anything is possible.
That line hit me harder than I expected. Because that’s the kind of energy we lose track of somewhere along the way: the feeling that the world is wide open and the next great thing could be waiting just around the corner.
At twelve, you don’t ride to escape; you ride because there’s adventure in motion. Every street could lead to something new. Every turn could be a story. And even if you’ve ridden that road a hundred times, it still feels different under the sun.
As adults, we get so focused on where we should be going that we forget how good it feels to just move with purpose and optimism. That spark that says, yes, let’s go, something great could happen today.
If you’re lucky, you’ll meet people who bring that back. People who make everything feel expansive again. Who remind you what it’s like to see potential everywhere, to feel the wind and think, we’re not lost—we’re on our way.
Because that feeling the summer you’re 12 isn’t about being carefree. It’s about believing again that the best days are still ahead.
