I am someone who absolutely loves the seasons, and the different feelings that each season brings with it. As we find ourselves already approaching mid-June (HOW did that happen so quickly!??), I have been thinking about all the things I love about summer. I mentioned in my blog post about 'thriving' that I take a lot of joy from all the small things in my life, things that might seem inconsequential but that are actually very meaningful. Therefore, I have put these two loves together, and decided to write a blog post about all the small but wonderful things that I love about this season.
Sitting outside at cafes. It is always a wonderful moment when the weather starts to brighten and you notice that the cafes start to move outdoors. Suddenly the streets fill up with inviting tables and benches, and stopping to drink a coffee with a friend becomes just irresistible! Gone are the days of getting your coffee to go; somehow one can always find some time to sit outside and enjoy a drink in the sun.
Reading in the park. I love to make time in my day to read my book, even if it is just 20 minutes. During the colder months this is not such a special thing, as mostly it just means reading normally at home or on a train. But in the summer I love to find a nice comfy spot in a park and just enjoy reading on the grass. If it's a weekend, I might combine this with a picnic with a friend and, to me, that is a perfect afternoon!
Beer-gardens. With the longer and lighter evenings comes a feeling of more time to do things - I often feel somewhat obliged to get out and enjoy the nice evening. In Europe especially, and I am sure it must happen elsewhere too, we have a strong summertime culture of beer-gardens. Lots of pubs have a backdoor outside space which they open up with picnic tables. A couple of outdoor kiosk-style drinking areas also spring up, and it really is lovely to enjoy a beer outside in the evenings.
Bike rides. Although it can be hard to forget those awful times in the winter - cycling to work in the wind and rain on dark mornings or evenings - going for bike rides (for fun) in the summertime is one of my favourite things to do. It is such a nice way to get out of the house, get some exercise, let off some steam, and can be combined with any of the things mentioned above! The thought of a bike ride on a hot Sunday afternoon, is much more appealing than getting in a stuffy car or train.
Open windows. I know it might sound silly and like it's noting at all, but I LOVE to get all my windows open and get a breeze flowing through the house. As I work a lot from home too, I especially enjoy this. I even like the sounds from the street that float up through my windows, and when I practice violin, I enjoy the thought that I might be sharing music with other people out there. It just feels nice, and very connected with the outside world, and I even don't mind too much the butterflies or bumble bees that sometimes make their way in, either.
Beautiful mornings. It's not often that I have to wake up extremely early, but the other day I woke up at the crack of dawn, and was surprised to find that it wasn't a horrible thing - in fact it was very beautiful. The morning was so calm and serene, I felt like the only person awake in the world, and I drank a wonderful coffee with a total sense of peace. I can't say I will stick to this, but it has inspired me to wake up at 5am more often!
Swimming in the sea. I don't think I could write a blog post about the joys of summer without including talking about swimming in the sea, as I love to do this so much. I love feeling totally refreshed after being immersed in a really cold temperature, I love to feel my feet in the sand, I love the smell of salt water and how it makes my skin feel - I love the sea!
Outdoor markets. I know that outdoor markets go on all year round, but they are especially enjoyable in the summer time. Whether it's a flea market, a farmer's market or a car boot sale, it's a really nice thing to do on a sunny afternoon. I love to browse through the stalls and get an ice-cream too!
So these are a few of my favourite things and small joys in the summertime. I know that sometimes it can be easy to get bogged down in work, in all the problems you might be dealing with or stress in your life (and I would be the first to admit to this), so I wanted to take a moment to think of all the great things that we have, that we are so lucky to have in our lives. They aren't big events, they don't cost much (if any) money, but these are the small things that can give so much happiness. So let me know - what are your favourite things about the summer?Labels: Life, Thoughts
