Savoring summer

Last winter, I practiced embracing the darkness, coziness, and bleakness that can be winter. Influenced by my trip to Amsterdam, I went full-on hygge. I lit candles throughout the house, turned on low lights in the evenings, indulged in hearty soups, ate mostly seasonal produce, picked out a real Christmas tree, baked, foraged for pine cones, read classic literature, and went outside daily despite the cold. It was a beautiful practice, leaning fully into a season I typically despise as a Ghanaian native.

It’s much easier to embrace summer, but I find that it requires the same intentionality or it will slip away quickly. I am “summering” in the slowest, most relaxing way, savoring all the things summer brings, such as the bounty of flowers, the sweetest fruits, juicy tomatoes and vegetables, and especially corn on the cob. My trips to the farmer’s market are a must in the summer; if you sleep in one weekend, you miss peach season. It’s a serious game if sweet, juicy fruits make your summer, summer.

Summer also means getting outside, gathering with friends and family on picnic blankets, taking in sunsets, listening to music, drinking wine, or sitting by the lake, where we recently spent four lazy days. We sat by the lake for hours, ate loads of cherries, sketched, drank wine, kayaked, and watched fireworks and the stars. It all felt so good and reinforced the joy of summer. The feeling that nothing is more important than the sun on your face.

There’s still plenty of summer left, and I have a few more intentions: feeling the sand under my feet, attending outdoor concerts, reading by the pool, enjoying more barbecues, having candlelight dinners, and experiencing anything on a rooftop.

How are you “summering”?