FROM THE DESK

Tiny new beginnings: This past August, North Beach Sun editor Amelia Boldaji and her partner, Dan Lewis, welcomed the birth of their son, Oliver David Boldaji Lewis. Photo by Elizabeth Neal.

It’s all in the little things.

WRITING THIS LETTER IS ONE OF THE LAST (AND OFTEN HARDEST) THINGS WE DO WHEN WE’RE PRODUCING A NEW ISSUE – and the task has felt even more difficult recently as our normal rhythms have been disrupted and our collective schedules have been thrown into some disarray.

But here’s the funny thing. When we really think about it, this letter is also one of the smallest pieces we have to string together in the larger, complex business of making a magazine come to life. It’s a way to say hello, introduce the pages in your hands, and perhaps reflect somewhat on how this particular process has differed from others – all in maybe a few hundred words.

And there’s the rub. Writing this letter is vastly more lifelike than any of the other assignments we can come up with. It’s often challengingly personal, and heartfelt, and it always holds the possibility of spinning off in a million directions. It’s complicated, and it’s messy. And while you’re likely reading this as the introduction it’s intended to be, to us, it’s more of a postscript.

So how exactly do you sum up the complete whole of any project, especially when that project hits so close to home? Over the past few months we’ve worked with dozens of writers, photographers and other contributors to assemble the pages in your hands right now – but, like many, we haven’t necessarily done so by clocking in and out of a certain work space at a specific time.

Instead, we’ve stolen hours – and sometimes minutes – in order to cobble together the enormous space it takes to generate a magazine that hopefully reflects the interesting, thoughtful and overwhelmingly passionate community we live in. And we’ve also spent more time than usual in our yards and living rooms, coaching our children through online school assignments, and even welcoming the birth of a new member of the Sun family this past August.

In short, we’ve embraced a lot of change, even when it’s felt a bit chaotic. We’ve learned to look forward without getting too far ahead of ourselves. And we’ve spent as much time as possible celebrating some pretty shining moments of peace and togetherness – all while recognizing the fact that it’s the little things which often add up to make the biggest difference.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue…and that your holiday season (and beyond) is full of light!

Publisher Editor staff

PUBLISHERS Adam & Cathy Baldwin

EDITOR Amelia Boldaji

ART DIRECTOR Dave Rollins

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Adam Baldwin Dylan Bush

WRITERS Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Steve Hanf Catherine Kozak Katrina Mae Leuzinger Arabella Saunders

PHOTOGRAPHERS Cory Godwin Ryan Moser Elizabeth Neal

SALES MANAGER Helen Furr

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Faith Turek

DISTRIBUTOR Aaron Caswell

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun and/or its contributors. Opinions, responses, and inquiries are always welcome.

NORTH BEACH SUN 115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444 editor@northbeachsun.com