What does Summer remind you of?

Festival time

The definition of summer changed after I became an adult.  I moved to Chicago for doing my PhD.

After bracing the cold and freezing winters in Chicago, summer was always a welcome change. What I loved most was the greenery all around me. In winter, the trees shed their leaves and look bare and gloomy. In spring, flowers bloomed and the greenery soothed my eyes.

There is also no need to wear the bulky jackets in Summer. Wearing flip flops, dresses and short pants made me feel like I was on another planet.

There are also lot of events in Summer. People spend every opportunity to be outside to enjoy the warm weather. I loved having food from the food trucks and booths at the Chicago food festivals and attending the art fairs. There were also different themed festival like Greek festival, Italian festival in Summer.

The beauty of the summer festivals was that you can enjoy both good food and music. Bands always play at these festival. When I lived in Boston, I once participated in an impromptu dance on the street. Everybody shaked their leg and nobody cared if someone was watching.

Summer time is also park and beach time. I loved going to the Grant Park and millennium park in Chicago and the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. In cities we lived in cramped apartments, so wide open spaces, with fresh air will always have an appeal.

I consider any summer that I dip my feet in cold lake or sea water and hop around as a great summer. A few summers, I made trip to the nearby lakes or the sea, depending on where I lived.

Someone wrote on Instagram that they love summers because people are nicer to one another. Pleasant weather makes us feel happy and more forgiving. Summers will always hold a special place in my heart because that season is a treasure-house of fond memories.