Why are people saying Bye Summer?! September just started. Yes it’s getting a bit colder here but I refuse to believe summer is over until the Autumn Equinox on September 22nd. It’s very rare that I’m home in BC for the duration of summer so I’m clinging onto this one before seasonal acute depression ruins my pumpkin cold brew drinking days. That was a little dark but I’m not looking forward to the cold. Except for fall fashion because layering and comfy sweaters? Need I say more. I’m getting ahead of myself, here’s some of the final summer things I want to cross off the list before the leaves hit the ground. Of course along with these my family, friends and self are following all the guidelines set to prevent the spread of Covid - you better follow them too on your end of summer adventures. Now let’s get to it, we only have a few weeks left!
Sun soaked Days | get energized
White Rock Beach - White Rock, BC
My favourite summer days are the ones spent outside. Whether it’s a beach, lake or walking around old haunts - get outside and soak it up. In an effort to support small businesses during this time, my sister and I have tried going to farmer’s markets whenever we can and walking around exploring different brick and mortar stores before picking up takeout and heading to a park for a picnic. Since gyms and fitness studios have been mostly closed during the summer or incredibly hard to go to due to reduced capacity, it’s been a blessing being able to get those workouts and runs in outdoors. Shout out to playgrounds for basically being adult gym equipment. Plus it’s less weird to take my shirt off and another bonus, tanning while exercising - 2 for 1 deal y’all. When you’re living on a ship, almost every single day stepping out onto the open deck is an immediate flood of sunshine and fresh air. It’s one of the top things I miss about being on the open sea but I’ll take my patio mornings for now. So if you’re like me, don’t let those sunshiny days pass by. Take your work outside for a bit of your day, eat a meal al fresco. Your work shouldn’t feel like you’re stuck to a desk. Be a weekend warrior, dust off your helmets and ride a bike, blow up a floatie and spend time on the water, or walk around your favourite part of the city and find a quiet park.
Little Engine Wines - Naramata, BC
A Cabin Getaway | appreciate outdoors
After a few summers spent working on the ship, I finally get to go on a summer cabin trip. I know this might not be possible for everyone but if it is - I highly encourage it! Before my last weekend away in BC’s equivalent to Napa, I knew I needed time away to refresh and shake some blues that were starting to take over my days. We were lucky enough to be able to tour wineries I’d never been to before, sample amazing wine, eat some spectacular food and spend time near Okanagan Lake. Sadly we did not see the Ogopogo but I’m sure she’s out there living her best life. This upcoming cabin trip is special because it’s my childhood best friend’s birthday trip! Not only am I home to celebrate with Tobi, we get to celebrate it with Amanda. We’ve all lived in vastly different places the past few years but life brought us back for this and I’m so happy. A shoreline within walking distance, stand up paddle boards and a sauna? Doing it big! We’re also close to the Juan de Fuca trail in this secluded area in the smallest town. Wherever you live, there’s tons of mini getaways you can do. This includes day trips too. Find your adventure buddies and set off on a new trail, an unexplored stretch of beach or a regional park. There’s nothing more refreshing than returning home after a bit of time away. I usually find a surge of productivity and appreciation for my spaces at home. Anyone with me on this?
Summer Time Nostalgia | reflect purposefully
My nephew wondering why this bike is upside down
Even though this summer was completely unexpected, it’s brought me back to a lot of summer memories growing up. And in turn, it’s given me a lot of time to reflect and appreciate the places I grew up around. Personal reflection has been such a big part of the past few months and heading into September means a season of change. The entirety of Spring was spent in lockdown and Summer allowed slow re-openings to occur, Autumn will bring along a new set of challenges too but we’ll navigate those as well. We really are in this together, even though we still have to be apart. Whether you’re looking back on summers past or the start of this one, revel in the fact that you are constantly growing. I’ll end this talky blog with a personal story. A few weeks ago, I was driving my friend Jake and I to a park in the town my family first lived in when we moved to Canada. Certain roads were closed, detours confused me and upon getting lost, we drove by the elementary school where I first attended Kindergarten and Grade 1. Jake moved here close to a year ago from Australia and we met working at Kit and Ace. We became great friends and workout buddies. Now, this is also a park my sisters and I have picnics in because it’s close to my old apartment that my youngest sister still lives in. The streets I used to run around when I was 5 years old became the roads I drive on, the gravel track that I learned to ride a bike on has become a running track that I work out on. And most importantly, I wish I could spend a summer day with my younger self in that neighbourhood and tell him about all the adventures that were waiting for him over the mountains and across oceans.
