Romanticize summer so that you can have the best one yet.
Summer is nostalgic, a season that feels like it could last forever. It doesn’t knock; it bursts through the doors barefoot and grinning, like someone who knows the night is still young.
It smells like cut grass and sunscreen, it feels like sticky fingers from a cone with melted ice cream, it looks like the pages of a book, dried out by pool water and sand.
Summer touches everything with golden fingertips; it feels like having slices of watermelon under the shade of an enormous weeping willow until bugs decide they’ve had enough and it’s time to flee. A reminder that you’re in their territory.
Summer feels like a cool night, with a fire pit that smells of marshmallows and chocolate, all fused together. Of burned wood and grilled hot dogs, it feels like the laughter of family and friends gathered in the kitchen, like fireworks setting off late into the night of the 4th of July.
Romanticize summer, it feels like it stays out too late and drags you with it. But when it goes, it leaves a mark. A tan line. A snapshot. A song stuck in your head. The ghost of laughter in the wind.
Romanticize Summer
Go for a walk on a crisp summer morning, before the heat gets overwhelming and the rest of the world wakes up. No music, just be.
Journal your favorite parts about summer every couple of days, things you did, and those you wish you did but didn’t get a chance to. Write all the small, unimportant details, and include all the big, favorite ones too. It will have so much meaning when you read it back one day.
Take a short day trip with a girlfriend, go to the beach, the mountains, or the city – wherever you find peace and happiness. Enjoy it as if it’s the last trip you’ll ever take together.
Try every ice cream flavor you can from your local ice cream shop. It will evoke a nostalgic feeling the next time you’re reminded of a hot summer’s day.
Drive somewhere, anywhere, with the windows rolled down and music blasting on the radio like you’re the main character.
Go out to dinner with your partner and walk around the city/town afterwards, enjoy the city lights and the hectic noise that comes with it. Stroll through it and embrace every conversation taking place. Those are some of the best nights.
If you have a large tree in your (fenced) backyard, put down a small blanket and a pillow and nap under the shade of the tree during the day.
Invite friends over and make S’mores after dinner.
Go for a swim, not just sit by the pool; make use of it and enjoy it.
Go to the movies. Take a large purse and put all your favorite snacks in it. Enjoy the film and the satisfaction of successfully sneaking in snacks without having to pay for them.
Visit a coffee shop with outdoor seating, get a pastry and a drink, and spend the hour or two you’re there people-watching.
What is summer without watermelon? Make a watermelon salad, drink, or fruit mix. Incorporate it into the season in some way.
The colors of summer to bottle this season
Movies to watch
I love watching movies that remind me of my childhood, especially when I think back to Summer evenings spent watching them with my cousins.
The Parent Trap
A classic, chick, and wholesome movie about twins who meet for the first time and team up to help their divorced parents fall in love all over again.
Matilda
Another classic. Matilda is a bright little girl who catches the eye of her teacher, Miss Honey. Matilda’s parents barely pay her any attention, and Miss Honey works at a school where her aunt, who also happens to be her principal, is her bully. Miss Honey and Matilda develop a beautiful friendship as they continue to learn more about each other along the way.
Bewitched
An egocentric actor unknowingly gets cast as a witch in a television sitcom and falls in love with her. When he finds out she’s a witch, he panics. This Rom-Com is a must-watch!
The Princess Diaries
Wouldn’t it be a dream to live an ordinary life and then suddenly discover you’re a princess? SHUT UP!
Books to read
Love and other words
This book is about two kids who meet in their teenage years and share a love of books, quiet moments, and falling in love for the first time. It’s about first love and second chances, the power of words and communication in relationships, as well as the healing and forgiveness that come with them.
November 9th
November 9th is a romance novel with a unique twist about timing, fate, and personal growth. Two teenagers with an instant connection form an unusual agreement to meet every year on the same day for five years, with no contact in between.
Summer is what you make it.
Every season is going to be different than the other. Romanticize summer; that is what makes it so magical. If you’re anything like me and find beauty even in the most minor things, this post is for you.
