As you read this, my family and I are enjoying surf and sand for a last minute trip as the summer comes to a close.

Our chosen destination: Orange Beach, or the place known by many as the Redneck Riviera.

It seems summers pass by more and more quickly as children grow up and the pace of the world increases.

The pace of “normal” life is hastened by work, for sure, but many other stressors and time consumers like fighting local traffic, the litany of everyday household chores, balancing checkbooks — the list could go on and on — contribute to making the daily grind, well, a daily grind.

One takes a vacation to get away from such things, or at least that is the intent.

In these days of mobile phones, e-mail and virtually instant communication, we are able to take many of those “pace enhancers” with us on vacation.

One can interact with the office, e-mail photos from the day’s vacation adventures to loving grandparents states away, pay bills electronically and check the weather for chances of rain with an iPhone while waiting in line at the water park (allowing time to adjust plans and agendas of course).

Yes, in today’s world, getting away isn’t what it used to be.

Being connected helps those of us lucky enough to love our work as much as our play.

That, as some of us legitimize it, explains why we behave on vacation much in the same way we behave at work.

Odd as it may sound, “working” from the beach is quite relaxing aside from the sand in the keyboard and the occasional stray beach ball landing in your lap.

The Riviera is as beautiful as my childhood memories suggest. Those carefree days may not be exactly duplicated in today’s electronic world, but the sound of seagulls and crashing waves is just as peaceful … even if your laptop is nearby.