“Work like a captain, play like a pirate.”
Everywhere I turn, I am reminded of the prospect of summer that’s looming over our heads. I’m visiting my family in Ohio, the weather is warm but has a side of sprinkle to cool us down. Grass is plentiful and full, some freshly mowed, and I simply want to sit in it and feel summer. I laid in the grass yesterday the weather was 24 degrees Celsius (mid 70s Farenheit). I closed my eyes and tried to breathe in the bliss.
Living in England, I don’t have that same sense of summer at all. Few would be the days that existed like yesterday, and if so much of the time I am in the office. Summers are different in the Midwest. In Los Angeles and Hawaii, I somehow took it for granted, because beautiful sunny weather was always readily available. But in Ohio, I counted down to my summer days. Officially it’s less than one month away, but for me it’s already here.
Stores display bright vibrant colors of items for sale displaying pineapples, flamingos, ships, with phrases such as “adventure starts here.” Kids gasp in wonder at bubbles being blown with a wand. Dogs linger with smiles under the sun. Windows down while driving, blasting rhythmic tunes. I want to inhale it all in and bottle the feeling of summer.
I admit that sometimes, I can be internally judgmental. I have lived in so many amazing places throughout the world and have an inner wanderluster that is always spinning. At times, I question how can people stay in one spot, settling for their homeland versus bursting at the seams to see what is out there. But yesterday, as I lay in the grass watching my cousin’s children play in their backyard playground, I thought this could be enough. Moments with family, friends, and laughter in the summer sun can be sustaining and addictive. We live for the summer.
I purchased a tiny tea towel to flavor our British kitchen for the next several months. I am going to try to capture this colorful flavor.
Summer is not just a season or location. It’s a state of mind.
How can you get there?
It Only Takes A Smile 