It’s early June and I was taking my daily walk, enjoying the fresh air and smells, sights, and sounds that define summer. Growing up in the Northeast, summer is, after all, a cherished time of year. It means warmer and longer days, no more bulky winter clothing, and more outdoor activities. But it also got me thinking about how the meaning of summer has evolved for yours truly over the years. I realized that this season was defined by where I was in my life and who I was with in my life. Has summer changed or have I?
So I brushed off the cobwebs in my memory bank and started reminiscing, beginning with my days as a…
School Girl
Do you remember the last day of school? For the baby boomers out there, let me jog your memory.
You went in for an hour or two to pick up your report card (grades were issued on paper, not online), maybe got some autographs on a stuffed animal (do you remember those?), and started summer vacay! The next 8-10 weeks seemed endless.
Days were spent playing outside, hanging out at the local pool, fishing with my dad, and family trips to the beach. No worries about curfew or waking up early for school.
There were no computers or cell phones to distract us. Kids had to interact and play together. Formal travel sports were not really a thing back then. You met up with friends on the block and played in their backyards or in the schoolyard. Camp, if you attended one at all, was more likely an unstructured, inexpensive day at the local school.
Summertime in this stage of my life was also the catalyst for my travel bug. I experienced my first family road trip and never looked back. Click here to read about this journey: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=515
Graduating high school came fast and before I knew it, I was an official…
College Student
Summers during my college years were filled with working — often.
Like many college students, working was necessary to help pay for my education.
But it wasn’t all work and no play. I made time for the beach, nights out with friends, and most importantly, my first European adventure.
My friend’s family offered us to come and stay with them in Italy. We turned it into a six-week adventure, all expenses paid by moi. And to this day, my love for this continent has not waivered.
With a college degree in hand, it was time to enter the workforce as a …
Working Single Woman
College graduation and a job! I was thrilled. Two-month long school summer breaks were long gone. Companies didn’t care if it was summer. And as for casual Fridays or half-day Fridays, these perks had yet to take hold in the corporate world.
I didn’t do much traveling during the summer at this time. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t travel. I shifted my travel plans to the fall and winter, taking amazing trips to France, Scandinavia, England, and the Caribbean.
Love soon entered the picture and I found myself …
Married With Children
Like many parents, my husband and I decided early on in our marriage that travel would be an important part of our life. Having children would not change that. Our travels would just include our children too.
And having school-age kids, most of our “longer” vacations were taken during the summer months. We’re not the parents that take our kids out of school to go away.
We hit the open road, exploring many US cities on the way. This was also the time we were first exposed to the beauty of our national parks.
For my advice on how to successfully travel with kids, click here: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?p=5356
As we look back, we realized that a family that travels together and makes memories together will stay together.
And now with grown kids, we’re officially…
Empty Nesters
Summers, like every season, seem to speed by. As semi-retired folk, our trips don’t need to take place during summer school breaks anymore. More winter and fall trips are on our vacation horizon.
In 2019, we took our first trip sans kids to Portugal. Trips to Costa Rica and Barcelona followed. And we were looking forward to keeping up our travel momentum.
But the pandemic hit and all our “big” vacation plans were put on hold. But no regrets. Luckily, our family remained unscathed by this horrible virus.
During this time, we took advantage of exploring more of what our home state offered with day trips and even spent some time eating lobstah on an anniversary visit to Maine.
And now, with the world opening up, we’re looking forward to exploring the world once again. Chicago is planned for this summer and France in the fall. I cannot wait.
As far as the summer goes, I try to enjoy each day, no matter what the season. This season’s meaning has changed for me over time, but so have I.
