The summer months usually pass by far too quickly, in a blink and you’ll miss it sort of way. I’m used to getting to September and wondering where the summer has gone, but I’m slowly getting better at accepting the change of season and the delights that Autumn can bring (roasted squash being one of the main things). But this year I feel a bit cheated. A lot of the things I’ve come to associate with the summer simply haven’t happened because the weather hasn’t been good enough.
As I write this over the bank holiday weekend, I’m trying my best not to feel a little bit mournful for the summer we haven’t really had. Even this extended bank holiday (my husband and I both had the Tuesday off as well) has been spent at home rather than away and although it’s been nice, it’s also felt a little bit wasteful of the precious time we’ve been given. It turns out even after the pandemic, I’m not very good at staying home without many plans.
It also turns out that despite the summer seeming to pass quickly, it also goes much slower when you’ve already done your big trip for the year but everyone else is going away for the summer. Although there have been no trips to the beach, and our evenings eating out on a picnic blanket have been few and far between, there have still been a lot of good things this summer despite my moaning. I may not have written my India blog posts, or got through the pile of books beside my bed, but as ever we’ve still managed to do quite a lot.
Highlights of this Summer
If I look back at the highlights of this summer, for the most part I’ve been thinking back to May and June, which were great months, and when the weather felt a little bit more like you’d expect for the summer. So what have some of the highlights been?
- A Mika concert. So much fun, very energetic and I would absolutely recommend to anyone to go and see him live.
- Our glamping trip to the Lake District. One of those special breaks that felt twice as long as it actually was.
- Three nights in Rome with my brother.
- The benefit of the weather being cooler has been not over-heating in our flat! It also means my office has been a slightly more bearable temperature this year.
- A new recipe book, and some very tasty food as a result.
- Doing some more walks from our Beyond Bristol walks book.
- Ice skating. Turns out it’s surprisingly pleasant to leave an ice rink and get a blast of warm air as you leave. It’s also so much quieter over the summer, allowing for more practice time.
- The few precious days when we’ve seen hot air balloons in the skies.
- Managing to see quite a lot of people and stay sociable. Thanks to everyone who we’ve had dinner or drinks with over the past few months.
- Citrus flavours. Turns out adding a bit of lemon or lime to a dish can take it to the next level!
So yet another summer come and gone, although I will be keeping my fingers crossed we get the warm September that keeps being hinted at. I refuse for the next few months to just be a countdown to Christmas so will be trying to find ways to keep getting outdoors and making the most of the time.
What’s been your highlight of the summer?
