Summer is halfway over for me, and the season feels like it's gone by so fast. It's my favorite season, not weather-wise (that would be fall) but activity-wise, because school's out and there are so many fun things to do in summer! I have so many fond memories of summer, and so many traditions and things I do every year. I thought I'd make a list of some of my favorite things about summer. (I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I publish this post, so a part two might be in my future. :D)
Sarah Dessen Books
There's a reason why her fans say "It's not summer without Sarah Dessen." Sarah Dessen has written several books that take place during summer, and she is definitely the best (well, according to me, she is!) at writing summery books. Her books make me believe that summer can be a magical time, a time to transform, a time to be someone else if you want to. They make me feel like summer is a season that stands out from the rest as being a season that will stretch on forever. When I read a Sarah Dessen book, I get all these warm fuzzy feelings in my stomach about how infinite and amazing and magical summer can be. I've been reading Sarah Dessen's books for about five years now, and I always spend my summers rereading them and falling in love with them all over again. I honestly don't know what summer would be like without Sarah Dessen books.
Friendship Bracelets
When I was about eight, I received a book on how to make friendship bracelets as a gift. Since I was always a rather quiet child who loved crafts and activities I could do by myself, I was excited to teach myself how to make them. Over the next few years, I learned how to make a bunch of different bracelets and patterns, and I never stopped making them. They became a sort of summer tradition for me. I'd start off the summer with bare wrists, and end them with dozens of worn-out bracelets circling my arms, giving me really awkward and uneven tan lines. I've already made a ton of bracelets this summer season, and I can't wait to make more. It's weird, since I've been making them for about eight years...half my life! I guess it's a silly tradition, but I love it. I wouldn't be me if I didn't make friendship bracelets till my fingers bled. (I'm serious about the fingers-bleeding thing. I get intense about my bracelets!) I don't even remember how to experience summer without making bracelets!
Ice Pops
I guess this tradition seems random and childish and non-important, but for some reason, I have really fond memories of ice pops. You know, the ones that come in the plastic that you have to cut the top off? And then you push them up so you can eat them and your fingers feel like they're going to freeze and fall off and there's always that little bit of juice left over for you to drink at the end?! Those ice pops were an important part of my childhood, and I think that even if I'm eighty years old, seeing one of those things will instantly transport me to age ten or so. The only problem with this ice pop nostalgia-fest thing is that I could seriously eat ten in a row without stopping. They're just so delicious!
The Beach
When I was little, I actually used to hate the beach. I didn't like the sand. So it wasn't until I was...gosh, nine maybe, that my family started going to the beach often. I live in New Jersey, about an hour from the coast, so it's easy to do day trips to the beach whenever we get the chance to. I feel so sorry for the people who don't live close to any beaches, because they're missing out on the quintessential summer experience! Going to the beach is always such a magical feeling for me, which sounds a little dramatic, but it is. When you step out of the car and get that first whiff of salt water...*sighs* It's the best feeling ever. I used to be the kid who ran right into the water and didn't get out until it was time to leave, but I gradually transitioned into the teenager who hops in the water, only to hop right back out and lay out on a towel with a book. I love being surrounded by sand and the ocean and other beach goers (the beach is the PERFECT place to people watch!) and I hope I get the opportunity to visit this year.
What are your favorite things about summer? Do you have any specific activities or experiences that you do every summer? Let me know down in the comments!
I'm not so much a fan of beaches. Partly because I hate being really hot, partly because being around a lot of people makes me anxious, but mostly because I live in Washington. Sure, I've been to the beach a good amount of times and I live fairly close to some, but they are SO not the same here in the great Pacific Northwest. Sure, there are good beach days, but those are few and far between. Seriously, you can go to the beach in July and end up having a soggy, cold, and generally miserable experience :P
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