An Ode to Chasing Summers
10 Jan 2014
In 10 days I will be flying south, into summer. Chasing summers, as they say. It consistently amazes me that one can do this, just hop onto a plane and end up in another season. I grew up in a temperate climate with four seasons and for a long time I felt like that was a necessity–as though, without those four seasons, I’d somehow lose touch with the natural world, like I’d have a constant sense of displacement, like something would be fundamentally wrong in my life without winter. Part of me pitied people who live in Southern California. I couldn’t live somewhere with palm trees, too weird. I definitely couldn’t do two summers in a row, that’d really be weird. And then, in 2012, I did it. And yes, I guess, going to the beach in January the first time was a little weird. But you know what else it was? Warm. And sunny. And nice, actually, really, really nice.
This year, I’m doing it again. I am currently sitting in Dulles International watching sleet and freezing rain erase all chances of an on-time departure and I can say, with a certain amount of confidence, that I will not miss winter at all. I think my attitude towards summer is still a lot like a third grader’s: FREEEDOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! For the first time since I was five years old, I will not be in school by mid-January. It feels weird. Good weird. Here’s to long days and fresh vegetables and swimming in rivers. Here’s to spontaneous road trips and avocado ice cream and cold beer. Here’s to bike rides and desert dirt and bikinis and suntans and living the good life, all day, every day.
Here is some instagram-fueled nostalgia from last summer:
Being from Tennessee, I’m used to all four seasons as well and have always enjoyed the variety. However, while I love snow, I hate the cold and can honestly say I am SO looking forward to spending my first winter on the beach this upcoming year :)
Ha, yes winter beachtime is the best.
Growing up in Washington, we had all four seasons (sometimes just 3!) and now I’m in a place with two – rainy and dry. I have to be honest, I do miss the variety of temperatures and colors outside. BUT I don’t miss being freezing cold 8/12 months of the year. I don’t mind being at the beach in January either :)
I would hate four seasons, I guess it’s just what you are used to. I used to think we did have four seasons (I grew up in Tasmania, so the southern most part of Australia), but I don’t think we really had winter. Suits me fine!! We avoid anywhere cold when travelling too
Technically Vancouver has 4 seasons, but really it’s just a couple weeks of summer, maybe a week of winter, and mostly just the rain of autumn and spring. When I lived in Budapest, there was definitely 4 seasons, that was strange. I would love to see what beach weather in January would be like. Sounds pretty awesome in my mind.
Where are you going?
New Zealand!
So you were here.. I live near Dulles and yes the weather was/is horrible. I love the concept of chasing summer. I should of booked that trip to Costa Rica when I thought about it in Oct for December. I never did. Now with the weather like it is I really wish I would of gone!
Ha, yes, I bet the weather is nicer in Costa Rica…what with this polar vortex nonsense! Miraculously I actually got out of Dulles with only minimal delays…
It is pouring with rain here, today, in the UK and this makes me want summer *so* much! Ugh, so jealous of you jetting off to sunnier climates.
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