I come from a land of ice and snow. It is cold (or very cold) at least half the year here. As a result, summer can feel urgent and fleeting—make hay while the sun shines, etc.

As I write this, it’s late July. We’ve passed the longest day of the year, we’re heading into August, and I am starting to panic because this summer season has been heavy on work and light on adventures.

I mentioned this to my husband and he reminded me that we’re still just a month into summer with two to go. Between teacher’s college, grad school, and working as a professor, I’ve never stopped living on a school schedule where August marks the end of summer. But, if I think about it, September is actually my favourite summer month; it’s not as hot and humid, there are fewer bugs, and there are still plenty of long, sunny days to enjoy.

To assuage my seasonal stress, we chatted about the exciting summery things yet to come (like taking our nephews camping and meeting up with our long distance besties for a beach holiday), and made a list of summer pleasures and plans to help us (read: me) mindfully enjoy the coming months.

Here’s what we came up with:

Summer Pleasures and Plans

• Enjoying morning coffee and evening cocktails on our balcony
• Eating seasonally, especially Ontario berries, corn, tomatoes, and stone fruit
• Picnicking
• Campfires and s’mores with the nephews
• Taking pleasure in watching our veggie garden grow
• Leaving work early for sneaky beach days
• Making homemade summer treats (my specialties are iced tea and cold brew, and my husband makes amazing cardamom ice cream)
• Having berries and cream for dessert
• Picking bouquets of seasonal flowers
• Reading the perfect summer book (I’m hoping that The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard is my winner)
• Trying a new-to-us restaurant
• Appreciating summer sunsets
• Beaching with long-distance pals
• Embracing coconut lotion
• Gelato, gelato, gelato
• Barbequing with our neighbours
• Stargazing at a dark sky preserve
• Watching the neighbourhood gardens grow and change
• Ping pong in the park
• Meeting friends for patio cocktails
• Hiking a new-to-us trail

What are your summer pleasures? What summer plans are still ahead for you and yours?

Image by Georgy Kurasov