Some Good Things About Summer

Today all of us Californians got a taste of summer. It was bright and sunny out with blue skies that made it appropriate for the flip flops to set free from the closet. I actually woke up this morning feeling groggy and unhappy about the warmth that lingered in the entire apartment. What's worse was walking out of the shower with misty sweat already forming on my skin. Instantly I thought, 'Ugh, it's that time of the year once again.' Throughout the morning I wondered why people loved summer so much. When I think of summer and hot weather I am only reminded of sticky skin, uncomfortable showers, laziness, and smaller clothing.
But throughout the day, I came to a realization that maybe...summer doesn't have to be so dreadful.

Moment #1
While I waited for some (special) people for lunch, I got to sit outside to pass the time. It was so beautiful. The slight breeze accompanied the warm sunlight perfectly. I'm sure, the heat will be much more intense than this as the days pass but at least I feel somewhat prepared.

Moment #2
Further into the day, I took an afternoon nap that reminded me of my summers growing up. Unlike most children, my summers weren't very eventful. Going swimming at the pool was probably the most excitement we got; my parents weren't all too adventurous nor were we affluent enough to take frequent/annual trips. Maybe that's why I tend to cherish the small things in life.
Anywho, while I crawled into bed, I instantly thought of the summer nights when the entire family would sleep in our parents' room where the patio door was. We'd sleep all together on the floor (my parents didn't have a bed until we were in high school) with the patio door slightly open. It would be so warm that we would only need a blanket for our legs. Today, all I needed was something to cover my legs and I tearfully fell asleep.

Moment #3
There's something about the air in the summertime that's different too. The smell of the air is different from other seasons, the noise traveling through the air is different. As I sat watching a random Korean drama on TV (just to keep all my senses occupied) while putting on my makeup, I got a whiff of what our weekends at home looked/sound/smelled/etc. etc. etc. like growing up. We would all sit and/or lay around with the windows and doors open, watching Korean television shows together. Everything we did was very much surrounded around togetherness. We weren't the most close-knit family in terms of showing affection and discussing our lives together, but there was so much tradition in the most simplest things.
I miss it so much.

From the looks of it, I probably won't be spending summer in SoCal so (I can't believe I'm saying this) I hope to reminisce those times as much as I can.




{eSeul}