Issue #72: A Summer of Nostalgia & Mixtapes
Let's throw it back to a simpler time and touch some grass, OK?
Last summer, we focused on slowing down and keeping a clear calendar. We made a simple list and stuck to it.
There’s no reason to do anything differently this year. With the world spinning a little out of control, it’s more important than ever to continue seeking out joy and connecting with your community as much as possible.
Before we dive into the fluffy summer things, I encourage you all to take a second and reach out to your representatives and urge them to protect public lands. The places we love hiking, camping, and kayaking in our own backyard could be sold to the highest bidder, and if we want to have more gorgeous summers to come, this is incredibly important. Click the button to learn more and sign a petition. Consider it your summer homework assignment, and it’s best to get it done early.
Now that we’ve covered just one of the insane things happening in the government right now, let’s get to some grass-touching conversations.
Nostalgia is all the rage right now, especially for millennials. All the weird ass trends we embraced in our younger years come raging back at full steam for the current teenagers. So, how else can we help the younger generations get a small glimpse of life before labubus and TikTok?
Joan Didion wrote a whole piece about summertime and how there’s just something wistful about it. I find myself wishing I could go back and take a few months off to watch bad daytime TV, go on bike rides with my friends, spend a week at camp, and smell like the coconut in my sunscreen every single day. Can we escape these few months and shift our focus away from fast-paced activities and lean more into things we loved in a simpler time?
Summer is, after all, the season of escape: the landscape in which to contemplate, alone, our failures and our possibilities; the safety valve, the frontier that none of us wants—or can afford—to see closed. — Joan Didion, ‘American Summer’ in Vogue
This made me think about my simple summer last year and what I could add this year to find some escape. How do I reopen the portal to the 90s when I had a crush on Devon Sawa, spent every waking minute with friends, and was not yet aware of an iPhone?
I saw someone share their summer bucket list and refer to it as a syllabus. That term makes me think of summer reading lists and the last day of school when you have a few months of freedom ahead. What a magical feeling.
Since I love a list and something to hold me accountable, but I want to keep it easy and achievable (so I can maintain an excellent GPA), I came up with a nice little list to refer to anytime I find myself reaching for my phone. I’m sharing it with you to possibly inspire you to put together a fun little list for yourself this season.
Keep walking. My goal has been to get my average number of steps up this year. The walking pad under my desk helps, but now that it’s summer, my lunch dog walks can be extra long.
Use a bike instead of a car. We are debating purchasing bicycles, but until we decide, we’ve been doing the 30-day passes on Lime Bikes, and it’s incredible just to be able to park and leave them anywhere. Parking in Seattle can be annoying, and I’d rather bike when I can.
Eat lots of ice cream. We always go to the same ice cream place whenever we have a craving, but I tried Mister Softee at a Mariners Game and realized that there are so many options I still need to try.
Picnic as much as possible. Girl dinner is so much better when it’s at a park on a blanket. I used to think it was annoying to cart everything with me, but when it’s a potluck of snacks, it is totally worth it.
Watch movies featuring summer camps. Camp Nowhere, Parent Trap, Heavyweights, Troop Beverly Hills. And then other summer classics like Now & Then, Great Outdoors, and Summer Rental. Sign me up.
See live music. I have two shows on the calendar for this summer, but I’m hoping to add some more.
Put my feet in the water. The kayaks have already been in multiple times, but I went to a birthday party at the beach a few weeks ago and realized that I rarely just stand in the water. It felt remarkable (although a little cold), and I want to get my feet in the water more this summer. Pools, lakes, the ocean… it doesn’t really matter.
Learn how to make iced matcha lattes at home. I’m adding this to the list because I’ve attempted twice, and my matcha lattes are not great. But I purchased supplies and really want to make a tasty iced matcha latte. Send me any recipes you have.
Rent a campervan and find new grass to touch. New hiking trails, new campgrounds, we want to get in at least one or two weekend adventures this summer.
Play racket sports. I played 25 minutes of tennis last weekend and was exhausted. That’s great exercise, so now we keep the rackets and the Pickleball equipment readily available to use whenever we’ve got a little time to kill.
Check my mini-golf skills. It’s been a few years since I’ve gotten a hole-in-one, and I want to know that I’ve still got it.
Be available for spontaneous plans. By not planning out every open day, I can say yes to an impromptu Sunday brunch or a free ticket to a baseball game or a last-minute dinner.
For a summer reading list, I mixed some light hearted options with some non-fiction that might help me put down my phone more often. The titles below are links to Bookshop.org to help support independent booksellers, plus a kindle link if that’s your method of choice. I’m sure there will be others added, but these are my must-reads:
Fiction:
Non-Fiction:
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari (Kindle)
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny O’Dell (Kindle)
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama, Douglas Carlton Abrams, and Desmond Tutu (Kindle)
The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz (Kindle)
Let me know if any of these are on your list for the summer and if there are any more I should add to my library list.
If you are looking for more summer inspiration or need some more things to click around and entertain yourself with, I’ve got you covered.
Mary Oliver’s Summer Day is a classic poem, and I love revisiting it.
If you really need a named summer vibe, you can check out these less-than-ideal options. It’s at least funny.
Here is a full list of activities if you want a throwback summer. I cosign this whole list and might add a few of her movie suggestions to my list.
This machine has been served to me on a platter by Instagram so many times, but wouldn’t you rather have someone else make your dessert for you?
Looking for creative kids projects this summer? This website has hundreds and there are a few I’m bookmarking for my nephews.
Want a peak back into history? This carousel captures summer from when I was a kid in such a beautiful way. It helped inspire my summer list.
I made this recipe last week and it will be a constant for us this summer.
In celebration of a nostalgic summer, I spent way too long making a playlist yesterday. I wanted something that would feel like I was on a boat and having a few drinks. It progresses like a nice buzz in the sunshine would. I love a weird and niche playlist, so hopefully someone else can enjoy this along with me.
Now get out there and enjoy the long days and all the extra sunshine. Buy yourself some popsicles, make a mixtape, and touch grass.
Cheers!
Steph
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