When it's hard to say goodbye to summer
We have had a beautiful couple of days here in Calgary, Alberta. Feeling the hot sun, on my skin is divine. It's been pretty cool all summer, with a lot of rainy days, so the heat has been a treat (sorry).
I'm well aware that the picture doesn't represent this part of Canada, but whenever I see a palm tree, I think SUMMER.
Fall is right around the corner of course- it's much cooler in the shade, there are a few leaves starting to turn and the sun is going down faster at night. The city glows at night, when the sun sets, as the days begin to get shorter again.
I didn't always enjoy summer. I don't like being overly hot. I also always felt pressure to do all the summer things, when mostly I just wanted to read or learn to draw or be quiet. It also meant that my mood wouldn't be so good probably because I didn't spend enough time with people my own age. It was easier at school to make friends and hang out, but when summer came around, it was a bit lonely. Being bookish did not lend itself to a booked social calendar.
I have turned my summers around now. I embrace my need for quiet and aloneness, and address the need to spend time with others as well. Being on the water is my favourite way to spend hot days - swimming, boating, SUPing or reading adjacent to the water. I also look forward to dinners on the patio with my partner, and being in the local parks. Mountains are a draw too.
I don't worry too much these days about what I'm not doing, and I can truly soak in those days that are dreamy and soft focus, and what everybody talks about, when they talk about summer.