Why I’m incredibly excited for summer

“Summertime, and the living’s easy...”

This looks like it’ll be our last below-freezing day!!! (We might have some lows below freezing but we should be asleep for those.) I hope! And March is almost over!

Spring is finally here, and it’s beautiful. Soon, we will have those Windows XP days (I’m such a nerd lol) in which the sky will be pure blue and interspersed with those beautiful puffy white clouds, and all the grass will be green. On the warmer days, I love going to the park and watching people fly their kites in the allergy-filled winds. I also love the smell of BBQs and the outdoors. I love watching the world come back to life.

But even more than that, I am so excited for summer. And here are the reasons why.

Free time

Seriously. In the summer, there is no sense of “man, I really ought to be doing homework right now.” Well, there is a little bit of it, but there is so much less stress. You still get stuff done, but without the stress of grades or a million looming deadlines.

Theme parks and roller coasters

I love driving on a summer morning to go ride roller coasters and water slides until long after the sun sets. And the smell of funnel cakes, chicken, cheeseburgers, barbecue, cinnamon...oh YES!

Blue skies

I love looking up and not seeing a single cloud in the sky. I love looking at weather forecasts to see nothing other than little sunshine icons and friendly temperatures at or above the 70s. Just sunshine and warmth.

Going to the park and strolling on bike paths

Two activities that start to suck in late fall. But now, that season is just beginning. You can walk without it feeling like a chore. You can check out new parks that you’ve never been to before. On a Sunday afternoon, you can wander through nature and feel at peace.

Way more time to work out 

And with it, a beautiful tan and a loss of 10 pounds. Happens to me every summer, and I love it. 

Post-dinner walks

You have the PLW (post-lunch walk) and the 3:00 walk, or at least that's what I do lol, but now you finally have enough time to add the PDW! 

The zoo 

Sure, you can go the zoo at any time of the year. But the best time to go is on a hot Saturday in summer, where you can cool off by eating ice cream in the shade. Cooling off is just so much more fun than warming up. 

July Camp NaNoWriMo

This is the easiest month to hit your word goals. SO much better than November. You've got 31 days and a whole lot of sun. 

The smell of campfires

This is quintessential summer. Sitting in front of a campfire as the sun goes down, sketching or roasting marshmallows. 

The library

Got to do that summer reading! :D It wouldn't be a summer without losing yourself in some awesome fantasy worlds. 

The AC is always on

In the winter, people always turn up the heat inside and it gets crazy hot. In the summer, people blast the AC and it feels GLORIOUS. 

More time to clean

Due to less to-do items, I can clean twice a week and have a spotless, fresh-smelling apartment, unlike during the winter when I sort of become a hibernating pack rat. Of course, the occasional blow-off to go ride water slides is perfectly acceptable ;) 

Double showers

I love swimming so much in the summer that my hair starts to feel kind of weird. And I love double showering (2 showers in a day) when it’s hot out. You get to feel extra clean and you sleep so much better. 

WATER. EVERYWHERE. 

Fountains. Water features. Sprinklers that make the grass sparkle with droplets, and cool you off. Rivers. Waterfalls. Water bottles. Lakes. Pools. Water rides. Water slides. Splash pads. Water all over the place.

Sunshine and warmth

My favorite weather is sunny and 90 degrees. Well, and that’s tied with sunny and 80 degrees. The winter lovers shall melt and suffer, while the summer lovers shall thrive.

Water parks

Um, DUH. I LOVE the feeling of cooling off, with water droplets shimmering all around me. 

Picture the Friday before Memorial Day. You’re going down a water slide for the first time since September. It might be a tad chilly, or it might be gloriously warm. Regardless, there’s that happy, glorious feeling that you’ll be doing this on the regular for the next 3 and 1/2 months. 

Music

First off, more time to play it. Hopefully we will get band back this summer. And not only that, but my depressing, gothic, and sad songs get much less playtime during the summer. As much as I love them, it’s great to just listen to upbeat tunes, as well as those certain new trashy pop songs that come out and just become the THEME of your summer. With theme park and water park trips comes a lot more driving, and with more driving comes a lot more music. 

Looser deadlines 

You’ll set deadlines for yourself, instead of having a professor do it for you. And if you don’t make it, whatever. You can still go picnicking tomorrow. You deserve it. 

Swimming outdoors 

Need I say more? Such a peaceful feeling. And you get so tan. It's great to splash around like a kid, too, even if it's just between laps. :P

Pool parties

See above. But with inflatables and those little weights you can drop to the bottom of the pool. 

Barbecues 

You know you love smelling a BBQ every time you step outside. How can you smell cooking hot dogs and not be crazy happy?!

Reading in the park 

Taking a book with you, putting out a camp chair, and enjoying the sunshine while getting lost in another world. Maybe even bringing a hammock or a kite. Oh yeah.

Less clothing 

And not even in a creepy way! :P I just love knowing that I can wear a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, every single day. It feels in the summer like I may never need a coat or jeans ever again.

Reviewing non-school related subjects

Ever wanted to review basic geometry, but you’re too busy wading through Python’s linear algebra libraries to complete your programming assignments?! Now you can finally take a step back and review! I plan to do a lot of math this summer!

Hiking

Oh yeah. Nature and an awesome workout and often delicious food. Grand Canyon and Lake Solitude and Timp, oh yes!

Working 40 hours a week only 

Working as hard as you can during the weekdays...And then being FREE the moment 5 PM arrives. And never having to do work on the weekend, unless you want to of course.

National parks

Who doesn’t love these? Picnics in the shade, lovely sights to see, and a good hard workout.

Road trips 

Yup. So excited to drive down to Vegas and Cali this summer. Put on some good music and let’s go!

Lakes

Floating in the middle of a lake in the summer, on an inner tube, soaking in the sun. It has been July for two hundred years and will be July for two hundred more. And I love that feeling.

Beaches

Yeah, you’ve got to get to one this summer. Because SAND and SALT and SEA, am I right.

The ice cream truck 

And ice cream in general, and shaved ice. Even if you don’t actually buy anything from the ice cream man, that tune he plays is the essence of summertime and warmth.

Summer movies 

 
I’m gonna go to the movie theater and eat pizza and feel the air conditioning. YES!

The arcade

See above, but with games!

Catching up on shows, internet, webcomics, fanfiction, and video games 

I’m never behind on these in the summer. And video games are so much more fun after a day spent outdoors.

Toys

Legos, Hot Wheels, stuffed animals, sidewalk chalk, Tinkertoys, and Kraft Mac and cheese. There’s no better way to feel like a kid again. Sure, you can do this at any time of the year, but it's much more fun with sunlight streaming through your window. 

Eating outdoors 

Food tastes better outdoors. I’m getting a card table soon, hopefully this weekend, so I can eat out on my deck.

Long days and short nights

After work at 5 PM, you can go hang out at the park because it’s still sunny. After dinner you can go write on the picnic tables outside because IT IS STILL SUNNY! Everyone should love this.

Outdoor events

Theater events at the SCERA shell, food trucks, mini golf, just getting out there and seeing so many happy people.

More time for art

And you don’t have to use the dark, stuffy, artificially lit animation lab. YES!!!!

Carnivals 

OH YEAH. I love driving around in the summer and accidentally stumbling upon a carnival. Then whoops, looks like I’m ditching out on my other plans and riding RANDOM FLAT RIDES! This is what I need in my life at all times.

Just being outside as much as possible.

Because EFF YES, that’s why. Spending TONS of time outdoors in the lovely sunshine instead of being constantly shut in. 

“It’s so wonderful and warm...”

I am SO READY and holy CRAP I just cut into my workout/homework time writing that. Ok, time to go!