Remember when summer was a defining period of time in your life? Before you suddenly blinked and grew up? You may nostalgically think back to when shrieking laughter pierced the air when your face upturned to meet the sunny sky, and something inside your chest unfurled warm and bright. Welcome to the real world. Those days of freedom have passed, but such moments are never truly gone from you. As C.S. Lewis notes, “someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.†Someday you will also be perceptive enough to enjoy summer like a kid again.
If you haven’t had the motivation, money, or moments of time to enjoy much of this season so far, there are still enough days left to have some fun in the sun. Here is a list of the top activities you must do before summer ends. Let’s enjoy the simple pleasures of summer while it’s in our full-fledged grasp.
Picnic in the Park
What’s better than a Saturday—or weekday—picnic in the parks? As a simple, affordable way to spend time outside with loved ones, you can’t go wrong with fresh air, grassy knolls, and pure relaxation. Pack up a blanket, a cooler with seasonal recipes, or grab some takeout grub to enjoy on a platonic or romantic date. Don’t forget to break out your favorite summer apparel before sequential sweater weather.
Look Up: Catch a Sunrise or Stargaze Away
Get out of the city and drive to a location to experience the best mother nature has to offer humankind. Choose a destination where you’re sure to see a stunning sunset or starry sky full of luminescent constellations. Stargazing is certainly one of the top activities you must do before summer ends. Appreciating the vastness of our universe by yourself or with another human being under the twinkling stars forms a summertime memory that will last forever.
A Water Escape: Go for a Swim or Boat Ride
Soak up the sun on a getaway with friends or family. Head out to the nearest body of water—lake, ocean, river, or something else—to swim, paddle, fish, or splash around. Ride a boat or jet-ski or work out your body with a canoe or paddleboard. Soak up the revitalizing ambiance of the great outdoors. Don’t forget to read through this list of essential supplies and gear for an ideal day on the water.
Read or Listen to a Book or Two
Summer reading is still a thing when you’re out of school forever. As individuals, we never stop learning. Reading is a hobby for any season, but something about summertime makes it just a spoonful sweeter, especially after the year everyone has had. Soak up fiction, poetry, or prose on a patio or pool deck, listen to an audiobook on a road trip, or create a reading hideaway on a hammock in the shade. Regardless of if you open up a bumper crop of books or solely get through one, you’ll have gained knowledge and perspective to build upon in the years to come.
