The Season of Summer

My favorite season of the year is summer! I love the warm weather, school vacation, and endless fun attached to summer months. The warmer weather is the perfect atmosphere for social and outdoor activities like camping, roller skating, bike riding, and beach days. One of my favorite parts about summer is the fact that school is closed for two months. This means you are free to do whatever you want and don’t have to worry about curfews or waking up early for school. The summer break calls for staying up late and waking up whenever you want to. Everyone works hard during the school year, so they deserve this free time. There is no worrying about homework, projects, or studying for a test. Hot and humid summer weather is stress free and the perfect time to relax and unwind with family, hang out with friends, soak up the sun at the beach, dive into a fresh cold swimming pool, try your luck at surfing or water skiing, go boating or fishing, and play tennis or beach volleyball.

Summertime is also the perfect season for concerts, carnivals and festivals. Many concerts take place at outdoor beach stadiums. Lots of local celebrations and festivals take place, like the Strawberry Festival, the Jazz Music Festival, the Nassau County Fair, and the Jones Beach Air Show (featuring the Thunderbirds). You can never get bored on a nice summer day or night. There are fun daytime activities, like picnics, parks, barbeques, sports, swimming and playing cornhole. Friends and family love to spend time together with lots of good food, drinks, music, and sing-a-longs. Everyone is laughing and having a great time together! Summer nights are full of outdoor movies, parties, gazing at the sparkly stars and bright moon, playing fun games, and enjoying stories while making s’mores around campfires. I look forward to staying up late and watching a good movie while eating junk food! I like wearing more comfortable and lighter clothing, putting on a bathing suit, sporting snazzy sunglasses, and slipping into flip-flops to feel cool under the hot sun. I also enjoy hearing the iconic jingle of my favorite neighborhood ice cream truck, as I always look forward to it approaching my house. Ice cream is cold and refreshing on a hot summer day!

One of the best events of the year happens during the summer: the Fourth of July. Celebrating Independence Day is very extravagant, especially when people gather around to watch the spectacular display of fireworks. The vibrant colors and loud sounds of the fireworks are amazing. To me, Memorial Day is the official start of Summer and Labor Day concludes the summertime. Many friends and families take off from work for well-needed exploration, summer vacations, and travel to exotic or tropical destinations. Summer is a low point in television viewing (other than younger children’s shows) because there is so much to keep one busy outdoors. There are also many summer jobs to explore, like lifeguards and industries that cater to recreation. Typically, animated movies are popular to be released theatrically in movie theaters during the summer months. Many children attend fun-filled summer camps, either daily or overnight, and develop a sense of independence and self-confidence as they learn new skills and try new adventures away from home. Certain fruits, like mangoes, watermelon and pineapples, become ripe during the summer, so this season presents the opportunity for people to enjoy them.

Summertime makes me so happy! It allows for bright and longer days (therefore, shorter nights), exposes the beauty of nature, flowers are in bloom, grasses are greener, and many birds and animals return to blossoming fields. I look forward to visiting the sunflower farms and lavender fields out on Eastern Long Island during the summer, as well as picking my own strawberries and blueberries to delight in. The summer gives life, birth, and rebirth to life all around us, as plants blossom, animals happily resume activity, and nature feels “alive” again. I love carefree summer days and can’t wait for them to arrive!