Coping With Summer For Non-Summer People
Because who really likes to start sweating when they walk out the door, anyway?
I hate summer.
I'm probably in the minority on this because I feel like all I see year-round are people posting photos of themselves in swimsuits or laying on sunny beaches begging for summer to come back, but I do. I really, really hate summer. My whole life I've told people this only to be met with protest and confusion; but summer is the best season, they say. How could you hate it?
I have plenty of reasons. I've grown up in the Southeast United States, which is notoriously known for its unbearable humidity and heat. But not only is it incredibly humid and hot in the summer- no, summer here lasts from around March to November, which is when the temperatures drop slightly and the humidity turns to rain. This past Christmas it was 75 degrees and sunny- a bit of a contrast to the snowy winter backdrop one might typically long for.
I want to like summer. I do, really. A three month long break from school to hang out with friends, go to the beach, and explore sounds great in concept. But that's an idealistic view. Summer, at least for me, has never looked like the version that the photos we posts hints at, the version with endless days at the beach, bonfires and cookouts at night, adventure and warmth and ice cream. I live at the beach, and also in a city with a huge tourist population, which means that summer for me consists of dodging horse carriages, guiding visitors in the right direction, and trying not to run over tourists who decide to suddenly walk across the street when there's no crosswalk. Summer, for me, is hot and humid and endless. Without the routine that I grow so used to for the rest of the year summer is a game of trying to fill my days with something exciting to do while simultaneously avoiding the sun and heat.
I'm a fall and winter person and always have been. Once, when I was a kid, I told my friends that I would love summer break, if only it was from November to January. They laughed and told me I was crazy. I have a summer birthday (July 4th, to be exact) and I live approximately 15 minutes from the beach, which all adds up to mean that summer should be something I love. But I can't help it. I don't love it.
I love drinking hot chocolate and wearing thick sweaters and hats. I love being holed up inside because it's pouring rain. I love waking up in the morning and walking outside to crisp, cool air. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I even love the Starbucks holiday drinks.
I know I'm not the only one. There are summer people and there are winter people. And then there are the people like me, stuck in the unfortunate situation of being a winter person living in a summer climate. I wait all year for the three wonderful months of cool air and short days- a whole year of endless sunlight, hot pavement, and sweat on every part of my body. Ah, the appeal of summer!
I mean, honestly, who really wants to start sweating every time they walk out the door? If you're blessed to live in California, or somewhere with equally low humidity, I envy you.
Every time it rains, my mom and I argue. I love the rain; she hates it. She says it makes her feel tired and weak; I tell her this is how the heat makes me feel. Dried out, lacking energy. The rain is a catalyst for me; it doesn't tire me out, but it wakes me up. Weather has a huge influence on us, and being in the right type of climate can make all the difference. In winter, I am more motivated, more productive. In contrast, I spend most of the summer hiding indoors and drinking coffee.
But summer can be just as productive for winter people, if you'll allow it. It's just about finding the things that work for you. One summer afternoon, when I was a kid, I got out all the Christmas decorations and put them in my room, then proceeded to play Christmas music all night. Another summer, I spent nearly every day in coffee shops, working on writing a new novel. I've made habits of going on early morning runs, taken myself out to try new restaurants, participated in summer camps and art classes. A new season may cause your hobbies to change, but that doesn't mean you have to start doing things you despise. Take the time off of school to re-charge mentally and physically. Learn how to finally contour your makeup. Read that book that's been sitting on your nightstand for months. Go try the yoga class that you always wanted to find time for. Just live life.
And remember- no matter how much you hate the season, it'll never last longer than a few months. And there will always be another one to take its place.
