Love: 5 Things To Do Before Summer Ends

I’m not great at letting go.

In fact, I am rather bad at it. Whenever there is a change—even a good change—I struggle. For some reason I have a hard time releasing the things I love about what has passed, to grasp onto the things I’ll love about what’s to come. And right now, for me, it’s summer.

I don’t want summer to end.

Perhaps it is because, as always, it has gone by too quickly. Or, that I feel as if I haven’t spent nearly as much time outside this season, as I’d like. As someone who has, in the past, been vitamin D deficient, I want more hours in the sun before the cold weather hits. And I want more of the relaxed attitude so many of us seem to take on in the summer months, and then abandon in September.

But, rather than continuing to moan about this season coming to a close, today I want to share five ways for us to enjoy every last moment. Things that make me feel like it is summer. So, here are Five Things to Do Before Summer Ends—and if you have more ideas, I’d love know them!

Do Something Water Related

Stick your feet in the ocean (or, your whole self!). Go to a water park. Kayak in your closest pond or lake. Go fishing. Most of us won’t do these things again until May or June. So put on some sunscreen, soak up some sun, and get wet!

Go for a hike

Visit your favorite local hiking trail or drive an hour or so to one you’ve never been. Pay attention to how green the leaves on the trees look, and remember that in just a few weeks they will turn color. Let the quiet of the trail silence all the “to-do” lists in your head. Be present.

Savor a meal or drink outside

Pack a picnic with friends or family, and go to a local park. Grab your coffee one morning and sit outside on your front stoop. Enjoy a glass of wine with friends out on your porch. Just the act of eating or drinking, if we let it, can slow us down and enable us to appreciate our surroundings. Pay attention to the breeze, the sound of the birds, and especially the words of those you’ve asked to join you.

Do Something Touristy

Play mini-golf with friends and laugh at how bad you are (unless, that’s just me?). Go to a theme park or historical attraction in your own town, or nearby city. Spend a day or few hours away from your life, and pretend you’re on vacation. Take crazy pictures with your people. Learn something new.

Go out for Ice Cream

This one is for my Grampa, who loved flying kites and taking his grandchildren out for ice cream. Yes, I know it’s cheaper to buy at the grocery store. But nothing quite makes you feel like a kid in the summer, than going to a local ice cream shop. So, order your favorite flavor—in a cone! Then, sit outside and try to eat your ice cream before it melts down the side of your arm.