This Time I Really Will Learn to Love the Summer

My public commitment to embracing seasonal change

Last year, I wrote a post about how I’d learn to embrace summer in the southern United States. While the summer solstice is still a couple weeks away, the heat is beginning. It’s time to start my multi-point plan to not dread the months of June, July, August, and half of September.

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It used to be easy to love summer when that meant summer break, but it’s harder as an adult living in an increasingly hotter world. Now summer is defined by oppressive heat and all the things that limits including just about any social activity that’s outside. Having a whole quarter of the year become defined by how much worse it is is a problem. I used to feel this way about winter (like many southerners) and was able to change this through learning how to dress for cooler weather and finding unique things to look forward to when the colder season starts. Unfortunately, this has been harder to do with summer. Even more unfortunate, last year was just my first public attempt at embracing the heat. I’ve been trying to learn to love the summer for a couple years now.

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That’s not to say there’s been no progress. I now feel ambiguous about the season. It’s gross and hot and ruins my daily walk. It’s also the time for pool parties and smoothies (the small pleasures really do make a difference). The challenge of learning to love the summer is something I’ve come to look forward to and part of me will be sad when my last big challenge to living seasonally is overcome.

Here’s my multi-point plan that may or may not lead to me overcoming my distaste for the summer:

• Learning from last year, I will make sure to stay hydrated. Bodies are usually good at letting you know when you need to drink water but extreme heat messes up your sense of thirst.

• Embrace night walks. If you’re going to exercise in the heat, you need to do it in the morning or evening. I am not a morning person.

• Get into cold brew coffee. I strongly prefer hot coffee but maybe that’ll change.

• Hike in forested areas and go up a local mountain where it’s slightly cooler.

• Do more indoor exercise including trying out group classes at the local YMCA.

• Do more indoor activities in general, especially with other people.

• Read The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration. My girlfriend recommended it as a generally fascinating read and one that made sweating feel “less bad.”

• Watch some good summer movies. Would love suggestions.

While it is unlikely to improve my mood, I want to use the summer to think more about the environment. It’s hard not to when you notice the effects of global warming as the world and your region hit record breaking highs each year. Summer is a good time to learn about the planet, see what new environmental work is happening, and consider if there’s anything I want to do differently.

Stayed tuned for the end of the season when I’ll let y’all know if the love finally comes.