It seems that whenever autumn rolls around and the temperature hits it's first big descent into The Frigid Temperatures I'd Rather Not Talk About, I start experiencing strange feelings of guilt for not taking advantage of the beautiful summer weather enough while it was around. It's almost as if I convince myself that there will never be another summer, so my not spending an adequate amount of time basking in the sunshine and warmth while it lasts is essentially a crime against my own happiness.
It's interesting that I allow summer after summer to pass without making a conscious effort to spend more time in the sunshine. Sure, I hit the pool two or three times each time swimsuit season rolls around and I will occasionally attend an outdoor event that allows me to soak up some rays, but working an 8-to-5 job limits the amount of Sunshine Time a person can get during weekdays. Furthermore, I am the kind of person who has a habit of filling up every minute of my weekend in order to "enjoy it more". (Note to self, this constant need to use your time wisely is exhausting and is killing the growth plate in your spontaneity bone.) So, my time in the summer sun has been greatly limited by work and by choice.
Until now.
The downsides of having no job for 3 weeks are that you lose a paycheck and a half, your friends are all working so you get bored easily, and you have to run your air conditioner more often because you're sitting in your apartment yelling at the people on the Price is Right because they don't know that a trip to Hawaii costs more than a stainless steel refrigerator.
The upside is that you have the time to just hang out with a book in a lounge chair under the August sun with a breeze in your face, which is precisely what I did today. I put on my swimsuit, pulled up a chair in the backyard, found a great novel on my Kindle, and settled myself in with a diet coke and a great appreciation for the lovely day. Now, when October 25th rolls around, I can remember today and let go of the guilts. I truly took advantage of the beautiful summer weather this year, and I have the weird tan lines to prove it.
It's interesting that I allow summer after summer to pass without making a conscious effort to spend more time in the sunshine. Sure, I hit the pool two or three times each time swimsuit season rolls around and I will occasionally attend an outdoor event that allows me to soak up some rays, but working an 8-to-5 job limits the amount of Sunshine Time a person can get during weekdays. Furthermore, I am the kind of person who has a habit of filling up every minute of my weekend in order to "enjoy it more". (Note to self, this constant need to use your time wisely is exhausting and is killing the growth plate in your spontaneity bone.) So, my time in the summer sun has been greatly limited by work and by choice.
Until now.
The downsides of having no job for 3 weeks are that you lose a paycheck and a half, your friends are all working so you get bored easily, and you have to run your air conditioner more often because you're sitting in your apartment yelling at the people on the Price is Right because they don't know that a trip to Hawaii costs more than a stainless steel refrigerator.
The upside is that you have the time to just hang out with a book in a lounge chair under the August sun with a breeze in your face, which is precisely what I did today. I put on my swimsuit, pulled up a chair in the backyard, found a great novel on my Kindle, and settled myself in with a diet coke and a great appreciation for the lovely day. Now, when October 25th rolls around, I can remember today and let go of the guilts. I truly took advantage of the beautiful summer weather this year, and I have the weird tan lines to prove it.
LOVE your spontaneity bone! And the growth plate is still developing! :)
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