A Grown-Up Guide to a Kid-Sized Summer

I’ll be honest with you: Although I love living in Southern California, a place with more sunny days than not, I’m not a fan of the heat. While most of my days here are marked by perfectly pleasant weather, the summer months can feel oppressive, with temperatures often rising to triple digits and staying that way from sunup to sundown. We don’t have a pool to dip in for relief, nor does our 100-year-old home have air conditioning, so it’s safe to say that summer is not my favorite time of year.

Still in my never-ending journey to live more in the moment, I’m looking for ways to enjoy this summer season while it’s here, and perhaps even learn to love it a little. To do this, I’m thinking back to my childhood when summer was my favorite season, not because of the break from school (I actually loved school and often cried on the last day each year), but because of the feeling of freedom and lightness I felt back then. This summer, I’m trying to re-create that feeling a few different ways:

1. Making Fewer Plans

Part of the joy of summertime as a kid was long days with no plans other than to have as much fun as possible. As a chronic overscheduler, this year I’m leaving my weekends open so I can say yes to spontaneous lunch dates with friends on patios, nights spent chatting under the stars, or even staying at home and doing whatever I please.

2. Saying “Yes” to Pool Time With Friends

For years, I cringed at the thought of pulling on a bathing suit, but I’ve reached the age where I just don’t care anymore. Now, I have a bag packed with my suit, a towel, and sunscreen, so I’m ready to go whenever one of my friends sends a “Pool?” text on an especially hot day. You’re never too old to do underwater handstands and float alongside your besties while catching up on each other’s lives.

3. Eating Kid Lunch

During the summer, we try to keep our meals light and do most of our cooking outside on the grill so we don’t warm up the house too much. Still, some days call for “kid lunch.” This might look different for everyone depending on what you grew up eating, but for me, it’s a ham and cheese sandwich, Doritos, and a handful of grapes. Add in some sun- brewed tea, and I’m as happy as can be.

4. Creating a Summer Reading List

I always looked forward to the weekly trips to the library to fill up my tote bag with as many books as I could fit in there, and it’s no different as an adult. Though I don’t always go weekly, I still take regular trips to the library to fill up my tote with summer romances and popcorn thrillers to devour.

5. Digging Out My Old Popsicle Molds

When I was little, our freezer was never without a set of homemade popsicles — usually poured from Kool-Aid. I had a favorite mold shaped like a rocket ship, and I’d eat the tip off first, then nibble my way down the sides, sticky fingers and all. This summer, I managed to find similar molds and filled them with freshly squeezed lemonade. The joyful anticipation I felt as I waited for them to freeze transported me right back to being 8 years old and enjoying my frozen concoction barefoot in the kitchen.

Discover more ways to turn summer into a season you adore in Bella Grace Issue 44.