Summer is a spectacular season that most of us find ourselves looking forward to at some point in time, especially when living in a climate that boasts all four seasons throughout the calendar year. During the freezing winter that seems to drag on forever, we all can admit there are moments we wish we were drinking a glass of lemonade on the patio in 75 degrees with the sun on our skin. Summertime offers warmer temperatures, longer days, vibrant greenery and florals, and of course, the brief break from school for students. Not to mention, summer includes three holiday weekends that are perfect for parties, backyard barbeques, and family get-togethers: Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Other summer staples include spending steamy afternoons boating on the lake, trips to the beach, family vacations, concerts, taking a dip at your local swimming pool, camping, sitting around a bonfire, biking, hiking, and fishing. However, summer is not all hot dogs and popsicles; there are a few struggles that summer imposes on us all.
1. Bugs
I don’t know about you, but I’d say that one of the worst feelings in the world (next to maybe having your limb sawed off by a chainsaw) is having a big, fat, juicy bug fly into your mouth, crawl into your ear, or zoom up into your nostril. Unfortunately, the warmer weather in summertime correlates with an increase in the amount of insects that harass us. Reeky Asian beetles, massive mosquitoes, ugly earwigs, and nasty gnats are just a few of the worst types of bugs that thrive throughout the summer season. It doesn’t help that spraying yourself with that stinky bug spray not only repels bugs, but also most people.
2. Sunburns suck
If you’re a person who burns, sometimes all the sunscreen in the world cannot save you from an excruciatingly painful sunburn. And let’s be honest, remembering to constantly apply and reapply sunscreen when spending a day outside or at the pool or beach is the last thing on your mind. Well, at least it is until you get in the car to go home and discover you’ve become a human tomato and cannot sit back in your seat without searing pain. If you’re fortuanate enough to be one of those people who doesn’t burn ever, count yourself lucky. The rest of us will just have to invest in some aloe vera plants and a car ice scraper to peel all of the dead, itchy skin off of our bodies.
3. The blistering heat
I think it’s safe to say we all look forward to the warmer weather that summertime blesses us with during the chilly winter. However, there are always some days in every summer that make us wish it was winter again. You know those days when it’s so hot you swear you can see a mirage in the distance? On those sweltering summer days, it can be tough to even work up the motivation to go outdoors. I mean, why risk walking outside into the scorching, summer heat when you can stay indoors where the temperature is under your control.
4. The humidity
Ever wonder what you’d look like with an afro? All you have to do is walk outside on those summer days when the humidity is so high your clothes dampen instantly from the sticky air and you can find out if you could rock a ‘70s afro. If you combine that high humidity with high temperatures common in summer, than you have a real recipe for disaster. Even if you don’t have asthma, you might find yourself wishing you had an inhaler because of the suffocating state of the atmosphere.
5. Lack of routine
Okay, yes, I’ll admit that once in awhile it is nice to sleep in until noon and spend an entire day in your pajamas watching an entire series on Netflix. However, at some point, doing that every single day starts to get real old. We all need a break, but trust me if you start to slack too much you’ll regret it. So don’t stay up until 4 a.m. every night and sleep in until noon. If you have a workout routine or eat healthy, don’t throw those out the window completely with the excuse that “it’s summertime.” If you don’t have something to keep you occupied during the day already, find something productive to do. When the fall rolls around, you’ll find it a lot easier to get used to a more structured routine again.
6. Leather seats
Normally leather is considered a fancy luxury covering for car seats, sofas, and chairs. However in the summer heat, it can be more of a pain in the rear end… literally. Sitting on leather seats, a leather sofa, or a leather chair with any garment of clothing that exposes skin can result in some serious skin peeling pain when you get up. The stickiness of your skin clings to the leather, and if you sit long enough, melds to it quite well. Which is why when you do eventually part from your leather seat, you may have some large red marks on the backs of your legs and hiney. Ouch.
7. Summer jobs.
Summer is supposed to be the “vacation” season. Kids and most college students are free from the shackles of schooling to roam free, right? Wrong. Though kids are truly free to run amuck and spend the entirety of their summers hosting lemonade stands and inhabiting water parks, many high school students, and most adults and college students spend their summers working and saving as much money as they can. So as you go to work today, tomorrow, and the day after that, you’ll probably think of all of the kids who are probably going to sleep in, go to the lake, play basketball, or just relax today because the weather is gorgeous and they have no responsibilities or a care in the world… And take satisfaction in knowing that one day, they too will have to feel the same pain as you.
8. Summer body expectations
Is it me or is there just so much tasty summertime food? Ice cream, slushies, hotdogs and hamburgers, macaroni and potato salad, ribs, milkshakes, fried fair foods, and potato chips… I mean the list goes on and on. It’d be a crime to not treat yourself to these every once in awhile, right? Summertime can also result in boredom which can lead to snacking more than one should. We’ve all been there before -- ten chips can quickly turn into half a bag, and one scoop of ice cream can become three scoops in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, these yummy foods aren’t exactly helpful in creating the beach bodies society tells us are “ideal.” But do not fret, I have a quick, one-step way to get a beach body: put on a swimsuit. Boom. You’re done. As long as you don't go overboard on the funnel cakes, it’s okay to have treat yourself to some junk food every once in awhile, even if it means you don’t have a six-pack.
9. Sweat galore
Summertime means sweating. And I’m talking like all day, everyday, man. Deodorant is not optional. In fact, you’ll probably need to reapply like five coats of it a day just to prevent yourself from smelling like a preteen boy going through puberty who's been in the middle of the mosh pit at a middle school dance far too long. Showering multiple times a day may be necessary too, depending on how much you sweat. You’ve also probably discovered in the summertime that you can sweat everywhere on your body, and I when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE. Girls, you’ve probably heard of the condition known as “swoobs” (aka sweaty boobs)? Yeah, I’m here to tell you that swoobs is not a horror story -- that garbage is a real problem that most girls eventually experience. And if you think that’s horrifying, don’t get me started on teenage boys’ body odor… If you’ve ever been remotely close to a boys locker room in a high school, you know the nose-destroying realness of that type of stank. Alas, there’s no cure for sweating. It’s a natural bodily function and we all do it. However, please be considerate of your fellow human beings and try your best to keep your slobbering pores under control and avoid smelling like fermented sauerkraut.
10. Crank the AC
If you don’t have air conditioning in the summer, you want it. If you do have it, you wish you didn’t after seeing your utility bill. Summer is hot -- there’s no doubt about it, and air conditioning is somewhat of a must-have for most people. Without it, sleeping and functioning productively in general can become difficult. Air conditioning is so important that the unofficial summer motto should be, “AC is love, AC is life.” Just be prepared to pay a higher utilities bill if you crank up the AC during those hot spells.
As you can see, summer has struggles that affect us all. Some more than others, of course. Summer is still a great season with lots to offer; it also has been proven to benefit our health positively. So all complaints aside, I’d still say summertime can stick around. And I guarantee you by December, we’ll all find ourselves wishing we had some warmer weather and sunshine kissing our skin. Appreciate summer while it’s here; fall is not far off.
