Diving into summer

I’ve been absent but back to report that summertime is in full swing!

Summertime roll call…

Are we surviving the heat?

Is anyone else in the chaos of the bustling traffic, the tourism, the sweat and sunburns?

I’m aware this may not be how the summer looks for everyone but there’s something about the way it creeps up and boom you’re in the midst of it.

Every sprinkler looks like an invitation, the sounds of ice cream trucks in the evening, the blast of the heat right when you open the door from your comfortable air conditioned house or car, pausing for a good few minutes when you return to your vehicle to avoid burning the back of your legs and suffocating.

I despise the heat and have longed to live in a primarily colder environment but this is home. It surprises me every year that people pay so much money to be drenched in the humidity, requesting to eat on the patio rather than indoors.

Work becomes a circus which begins in peace and ends in trashed sections with puddles from the condensation their drinks left behind. Reminding myself to drink water as I sling crab legs and hush puppies to make a living. Complaining about my clothes sticking to me and trying to comfort the people who take their food entirely too seriously in this weather.

Apart from work, the kids love this weather. When I can’t muster energy to take them out into the world, we turn on the hose and they play in the yard for hours. They thrive in the water and sunshine. Our yard full of dirt makes the best for all the different sensations they could wish for. Clothing changes multiplied by five and multiple baths are a must. The red faced, dirt smeared smiles make it all worth it.

We try to frequent the beach as much as we can during the summer. Usually a great breeze along with the relief of the ocean when it gets too hot. My kids, however, are to the age that mastering their safety, single-handly, has gotten difficult. One in a puddle jumper, who insists she can swim to the depths of the ocean, the other wants to be in my arms until he doesn’t, in which he pushes me away so I wrestle him if just to keep him alive.

Each beach attempt feels like entertainment for all that surround us. Trying to chase one kid while yelling at the other to “stay close”, begging them to build sand castles while mid-build the youngest bolts towards the water. Lugging bags of toys, snacks, and all the essentials, while holding two little hands down an unusually long boardwalk, prior to standing in a 30 minute line to pay for parking. It’s a feat but one that’s worth it, especially with family nap time to inevitably follow.

The mornings in the summer are special. We use that time to do anything outdoorsy as a means to get in what we can before we miss the opportunity. Some days just are too hot to spend outside. We start with bike rides, early beach ventures, pools some days, and walking the dog. Anything to get some semi good weather before it’s too much.

The resort town, restaurant job is an odd lifestyle. Waiting on all the people using their summers as their getaways. It’s our time to rake in the cash because the tourism is our time of year we count on. Fighting traffic to get to our job and praying the last round of tables goes easy on us.

It won’t be long that we get this business or the chaos. It goes as fast as it comes and we take it for granted. Wishing it would be here sooner than wishing it away. In the next few weeks we will be exhausted but for now it’s a nice change of pace, plus my bank account loves it.

The sun does something great to your soul. As tired as I feel, I equally feel grateful and alive during this time. The days are longer, hotter, moister, and some attitudes can be iffy but people just seem happier in the summer.

The past few weeks have been dedicated to fun and outdoors time. I’ve often lost sight of my phone and been engrossed in the moment, something I’ve been craving for a long time now. Just the act of being present and available for everything that comes my way, even if the people trying to reach me have to wait. It’s a balance I haven’t figured out how to master but one I’m willing to let fall to the waist side while my young kids era is briefly upon me.

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Please share moments about this summer you’ve enjoyed, with or without kids, inside or out, how do your days look different and how does the heat make or break you?

If you have one thing you’d like to accomplish this summer what would it be?

Thanks for continuing to be with me in this space 💜

Photo by Mourad Saadi on Unsplash