6 Reasons Summer Is A State Of Mind

As I sit here indulging my taste buds with my first gelato of the season, a cold relief against the always rising temperatures, I can’t help but think about the sweetness of summer. We wait long winter nights to expose our summer selves, where our hearts can run as free and uncaged as the Atlantic waves and our hopes glow brighter than the sun.

Here are six reasons I look forward to summer, not only as a season, but as a state of mind:

1. The outdoors.

The ability to cure our winter hibernation with dose after dose of Vitamin D. With the new greenery and bountiful nature arrives a feeling of tranquility and peace. From enjoying the salt water and chlorine to hiking, bonfires, festivals, porches and everything in between, each breath of muggy oxygen rejuvenates our sheltered lungs.

2. The people.

Our sun-kissed companions. The ones who make life simpler. The ones who radiate good vibes, who understand that these moments are as unequivocal as they are temporary. The ones who tirelessly assure us they will rise alongside the sun tomorrow. Those special, unparalleled people who bring value to life, who fill an extra archive in our memories.

3. The music.

How satisfying, to listen to lyrical bliss radiating from the speakers, telling tales of sunbeams, shorelines and the sensation of sipping on a cold one. Songs of romantic rendezvous that ripen into the real thing. Each time we press play, we turn our souls into microphones.

4. The indulgences.

The sights and smells of those summer foods and beverages. Chilled beer and barbecues. Iced coffee and ice cream. Water ice and watermelon. Fresh produce that produces the very energy we need to sustain through three hot months. Delectable tastes so seasonal, we can’t help but savor every second.

5. The simplicity.

What serenity, to drive with the windows down, wind whispering through our fingertips. To wear less so we can feel more – the sun’s warmth on our bronzing shoulders, the sand between our toes, the sweaty skin of a stranger brushing past. The relief of resting our heads on a crisp pillow and succumbing to a self-induced slumber in the final hours before dawn.

6. The possibilities.

The extra hours, the extra freedom…to try something new. To meet someone new. To make plans to have no plans. To follow our hearts and our guts, to make decisions based on the here and the now. When we break free from the chains of our daily responsibilities, we remain only what we accomplish with our leftover time with the sun.