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“A.B.D.I.P” is what my study-abroad professor taught us one day while we were on a boat in the middle of the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Costa Rica tracking the social norms of wild dolphins. (Yes, this is a true story. No, I have not used this part of my degree since then.) Professor Forestell went on to explain the acronym to a confused boatload of students: “Another beautiful day in paradise,” he said with an untroubled, totally fulfilled shrug and that moment stuck with me.

Nearly 20 years later, A.B.D.I.P is a phrase I repeat often and fondly, especially as the months warm, and the season swells here on the North Fork. Paradise is truly what this place is — from beaches to vineyards to farm stands to trails, the North Fork is an area I never take for granted.

The season is spent mostly outdoors, barefoot, with salty hair and dirt-filled nails, one that I could never get enough of even if I tried. Friends often ask, “What are you doing for the summer, going anywhere?” and never once has my answer strayed from “staying put,” and I mean it, heels dug in and all. How could anyone want to leave the North Fork during this season? It seems blasphemous to me. Instead, we bucket list. We write down all the things we want to do — every single morsel of produce we want to pick, every winery we plan to sip wine and picnic at, every full moon we vow to watch rise over the bay (there are four if you’re wondering) and every event we refuse to miss (we’re looking at you, Lobsterfest).

In these pages, you’ll find stories that speak to the season. Recipes that use all your over-grown herbs, a band of brothers on a mission to protect our waters, a big birthday for a small ice cream shop, and of course, our summer plan which includes a massive checklist of the things we promise to do from now until September.

I can’t wait to savor the season and I know you northforkers are right there with me. See you in paradise, people.

— Content Director, Michelina Da Fonte

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