We stuff leftover chocolate cake, brie cheese and crackers along with crispy bread and lox into a rugged rucksack. A silver canister filled with piping hot coffee joins the mix. Laser-like sun rays spill indoors through the balcony glass door warming everything in their path. I quickly slip into hiking boots. We had to leave now before the lasers fizzled out.

Our plan that warm Saturday was to explore our island which is a mere 15 minute drive across the bridge from Stockholm. We would meander through backroads, stop at rock outcroppings, and just flow with the day; no destination in mind.

At our first stop, colorful arrays of sails float by. Dozens of yachts and sailboats move in slow motion beneath them. Like kids staring at vivid kites and looking for their source, we rush to the shores of the rocky beach to take it all in. Dozens more appear over the horizon; coming from an endless source. We’d strolled into a regatta.

We hike along the cliffs past simple hilltop houses with glass windows all around boasting spectacular views until we reach the best spot to take in the regatta.  We spend the next four hours splayed across rocks like lizards soaking up the sun, watching over a hundred yachts, a massive catamaran, and three cruise ships go sailing by.  Like a classic scene from a painting, those vibrant sails against the cloudy blue skies mesmerized us for hours.

At that moment, I lost all sense of time and space. I finally succumbed to absolute relaxation.

The last few days have validated why I have to telecommute. This year, I’ve been dabbling in telecommuting across the Atlantic Ocean. Though largely for personal reasons, pitching the idea to the bosses came with promises – that they’d see no drop in productivity.  Frankly, I think they were more excited than I was. Dialing my extension at work redirects colleagues to Skype on my laptop. So the fact that I’m physically in Stockholm easily gets forgotten.

A six-hour difference means real work begins at 3pm; 2pm if I wanted an early start. This summer, I return to Stockholm for a little over two months. After last weekend’s peek into summer life there, I couldn’t be more ecstatic.

We spent the rest of the day traversing our island from end to end; stopping at beaches, waterfront communities, and its ritziest parts with million dollar yachts docked and their crew basking in the sun in matching uniforms.

Earlier that week, we’d stuffed sandwiches into the same rucksack and hiked over to another lookout to breakfast in the glowing sun before I resumed work at 3pm.

How could the hustle and bustle of D.C. beat that?!