Have you designed your summer?
Every man makes his own summer. The season has no character of its own, unless one is a farmer with a professional concern for the weather. Circumstances have not allowed me to make a good summer for myself this year…My summer has been overcast by my own heaviness of spirit. I have not had any adventures, and adventures are what make a summer.
Robertson Davies
Anyone who has read *any* of my blog posts will have picked up that I am a big fan of Gretchen Rubin, and an avid listener of her Happier podcast. I pick up so many useful ideas to become a healthier and happier me 😊
When I heard the concept of designing your summer (covered for the first time in this episode) it really resonated with me. I'm the kind of person who is always surprised by the arrival of summer bank holidays, and the fact that everyone is away in August!
So as soon as I heard the words I knew this was something I wanted to embrace to make my summers stand out from the rest of the year, and to make the most of the amazing weather. In the last few years I have accidentally started a Summer Tradition (nut picking) but there's still lots more I can do.
Even though it's already (halfway through!) August I believe it's still a worthwhile exercise to document my plan (even if I have made some progress already).
There are lots of ways to design a summer, such as by activity (e.g. Summer of Reading) or a focus (e.g. Summer of Health). However, I always seem to need a nudge to do or organise things so I'm designing my summer to encourage me to do more of what I want.
🚂 More day trips. I live in London. And I love London. But there is a world outside of London! So I want to make sure I make the most of the lovely countryside practically on my doorstep. So far I've visited a friend in Goring & Streatley, and gone to a summer work party in Essex but there's obviously lots more to explore.
🍹 More summery treats. I haven't felt very inspired to cook recently, but I have been drawn to recipes for refreshing fruity drinks or ice-cold treats (thank you heat wave!). I especially want to make this watermelon slush or Ina Garten's watermelon mojito, and these PB&J popsicles from Sainsburys magazine. This means I may finally need to replace my fridge... which I have been putting off for 2 years!
🏊♀️ More outdoor swimming. This kind of implies that I regularly go indoor swimming. (I don't!). But as a South African I really miss swimming in the summer. I actually already have a few swims under my belt (💪) but I'd love to combine day trips with swimming and make it to an actual beach. I've heard Seaford is nice.
If you want to Design Your Summer and are looking for inspiration or ideas then give a listen to these Happier episodes here and here. And if you do design your summer I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Natalie x