Summertime sadness.
Summer is not my aesthetic or my vibe. I am a fall and winter girl, and maybe a spring girl (if it even happens).
In many ways, the summer season makes me depressed. I think it always has.
Summer limits the day innately – if you’re not someone who loves sweating. Many days, you can’t go outside between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. without getting heat stroke... that’s practically an entire day of precious outdoor time gone to waste.
I don’t thrive in weather where I can’t enjoy the outdoors in the middle of the day, or where I can’t take a walk comfortably in a hoodie and leggings.
I should confirm that I also hate summer clothing. I’ve never liked how it looks or feels on me.
I love a turtleneck. I am unstoppable in jacket weather.
Social media has made summers even worse: we’re not meant to know who went on a friend’s yacht (again) this often.
It almost feels like summer just exists so that everyone can brag about how many weddings and trips they have planned in one three-month timespan. In a society where “being busy” is King, summertime productivity and consumerism (masked as relaxation) reigns supreme.
Summer was not made for the introvert.
Have I been guilty of doing this exact same social media posturing about my "summer plans” in the past? Of course. I am, above all else, a hypocrite. But the societal pressure to conform to a pro-summer agenda is not my fault.
To cope and blend in, sure – I take my pretty little pictures and I get outside at sunrise and sunset and I collect berries and flowers at the farmers market and I try my damnedest to find some blooming and bountiful beauty within the many layers of the weary heat. But no matter how much I try to self-care my way through the heavy, hazy days, the truth remains that summer is simply – and I will die on this hill – not that great.1
In the meantime, I am sending love to my “summertime sadness” crew. We’ll get to the other side, I promise. We always do.
Deep anti-summer solidarity 👏
My goodness, do I hear you. I am so grouchy in the summer! Whether it's the heat (usually the heat) or my hair looking frizzy as hell, I just count the days till August when people start to mourn the end of summer and it only gets colder for months and months.
Also I'm grateful you shared this because any reminder that I'm not alone in my misery is very comforting!!