3 minute read
Have you noticed there are a lot of expectations every summer? Sure, no one wants summer to be wasted, but the expectations are super big, though. No, really, think about it, it’s like, apparently everyone’s supposed to be glowing, booked, relaxed, drinking iced something, wearing linen, and somehow landing on a Greek island by Thursday. Okay, gorgeous in theory, but also, who is paying for all of this, and are they accepting applications? This isn’t even about social media; it wasn’t that different years ago (TVs, movies, books, magazines, they all pushed this idea too, plenty of ads did as well).
But the funny thing is, summer didn’t feel magical as a kid because it involved some luxury itinerary and a suitcase full of matching outfits. It felt magical because the day felt wide open. No, really, think about it, there was swimming, bike rides, walking around with friends, eating something cold outside, staying out a bit later, and just being in the sun long enough for the whole day to feel different. Nobody needed Ibiza, Thailand, or a Greek island to make summer count. It really was just super simple.
Basically, being out of the house was more than enough, be it even in your own lawn, and adults just need to remember that.
No, Summer Doesn’t Only Count if There’s a Trip
Now, this was already brought up just above, but it absolutely needs to be reiterated here. So, a lot of adults accidentally treat summer like it has to come with flights, hotels, and restaurant bookings. Sure, those are nice, well, more than nice, but that’s not what summer NEEDS to be about. But really, some of the best summer moments are almost embarrassingly simple, sure, take a weekend trip or a day trip if you want (or a full holiday), but again, you can go simple like going to the park for a picnic, a beach day with no planning, sitting in a lawn chair with the sprinkler on, that sort of stuff.
Bring Back the “Just Go Outside” Energy
Which goes back to what is being said above. Childhood summers had one major thing going for them, and it was that being outside was basically the whole plan. Sure, you have responsibilities now that you’re an adult, you have work, you have chores, bills to pay, sure, that’s true. But think about after work, though.
Do you really want to sit on the couch, have Netflix in the background playing while you scroll on your phone? Instead, pick up a hobby, like get some padel rackets and go outside and play with friends, take a dip in the pool, go and do some gardening, just do something out of the house. Even something like grilling your dinner outside can be enough.
Just Pick One Repeatable Summer Activity
One of the easiest ways to make summer feel fun again is to have one thing that happens more than once. Just something you can actually stick to. For example, if you buy an outdoor gym membership courses, then do that (those are popular in the summer months). If you buy the stuff to start gardening, well, you have no choice but to make a schedule. You could even look into a friend or even an accountability partner; there are apps and websites for stuff like that, too.
