Summer. How oddly poetic.

There is something oddly poetic about a summer night.

Something far different than any other night that is under the direction of school, work etc.

I am not sure I can explain it entirely, but there are certain nights in which every little thing seems to come together in a harmonic fashion: creating a large space in your chest completely taken over and invaded by feelings of freedom, genuine happiness excitement, and possibility.  Where you just get that feeling that possesses your whole body- the one where you look up at the sky and offer your arms out in a hug for the sky, and spin uncontrollably, unaware of who is watching; Only tuned into your epic happiness and your living in the moment of something great.

All year long, we build up our excitement towards our sunshiny break in which there are no deadlines, studying, trips to the library, and crappy food.  It goes by kind of fast, but slow.

We advance through football season, rebound after winter break and soon enough are catapulted into the longing feelings for our summer off.  

It approaches. 

SLOWLY, the more we wait for it.

But, it gets there, and the day you step foot off your campus, high school, work place etc., there is a sense of lightness you feel.  A burden being removed from your shoulders, and instead a cloud for you to sit on.  Its refreshing and freeing, and always received with open arms. 

I usually focus on just having a break; from everything- thinking in general to be more specific.  We get to break the bounds of schedules and routines and roam through the land of long nights and long days, a constant laughing and exchanging with friends, summer hair, tan skin, shoeless feet, trips with two hour planning in advance, convertibles, loud music, and a general understanding of not needing to worry about what might otherwise stress you out.  

The pressures of money, living situations, upcoming classes all seem to fade away upon summer approaching. 

Surely, we know that summer doesn't resolve this stress, but we give ourselves a break from it- an OK to push it out of our minds even for just a little while.

Really though,

Its the good nights that really relieve you of that tension.

Its the good summer NIGHTS in which you can truly lose yourself in the swirly abyss of fearlessness, and ease.

Its the nights that get to me. 

Maybe it's the tranquility that follows a really good night.  The pleasant quietness that gives you a chance to think.  To take everything in.  To truly appreciate how splendid this time is for us. This thinking is nice, and different, and relaxing and usually leads to an unbridled excitement from the memory you created.  

Like I said, its odd because I usually enjoy the thought of summer simply because I get a BREAK from thinking.  I no longer am required to direct a large amount of brain power towards things I am not particularly enjoying and instead get to trade that in for the luxury of mindless activities that I engage in without so much as putting a second of thought into it. 

Catching up with friends? Done.

Lay out on a dock?  Of course.

Take a spin around the town?  Shop?  Count me in.

A break.  

But thinking can be good.  Over thinking can be good.  As long as you are focusing on the right things.  As long as you are dedicating some time to over thinking about how awesome your nights are, and how lucky you are to experience such lengthy days with people you love, and embracing the opportunity to do things that are out of the ordinary. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE THINGS!

Honestly.

I love that summer offers us this free pass to say yes.  

To not feel threatened by what might come with it.  Its easy, and effortless and usually exactly what I and many others look for in an ideal 3 month hiatus.  But, what I have come to find is that summer time is so much more than just a break from thinking.  Its this wonderful opportunity we are presented with in which we can embrace our spontaneity.  We can hop into our cars and drive, without a reason and not be questioned.  It offers you an opportunity to do SO much.  To let go of things that were once hindering, and explore what can bring you up.  Its like every one is set on the same frequency- linked by a common telepathy that every chance you get to do something remarkable should be taken and not questioned or scrutinized.  But most of all..

Summer is just a time to restore hope in what you had once lost hope in.

Summer is the perfect opportunity to find yourself before you are forced to fit yourself into a schedule in which breaking or deterring often results in extremely unpleasant circumstances.  

SUMMER, man.  Its GREAT.

Summer means finding people whose presence and company alone makes your forget about those facebooking, twittering and texting you.  

Summer means feeling a sense of sadness as you approach your house after a night of pure enjoyment. 

Summer means driving past your house and taking the long way because your favorite song came on right before you turned into your driveway. 

Summer means laughing, and trying new things.

Summer means returning to your roots, but bringing your experiences in for reinforcements.

This time of the year means that you can blast your favorite song at the top of your lungs as you pass street lights, signs, exits and glance at the car next to you JUST in time to see them silently laughing at you, perhaps wondering where you must have been coming from to make you feel so alive. 
Summer is losing track of time because this time is not measured in minutes, but moments.  The greater the moments, the better the time. 

What makes me sad is that I hear people saying that summer isn't what they expected it to be, or it just wasn't as great as they were hoping.  

Well guess what?

Summer has stopped feeling so monumental because we are slowly forgetting that summer isn't just about laying back and taking a break, but simply spreading your time in other places that YOU want to.

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

If you see summer being great, look at how you see summer being great and make it happen.  Your time here is only as good as the effort you put into it.  The way you treat your time will reflect what that time will do to you.

We should be excited.  STOKED.  This time of the year alone is good enough to us that we can work all day and still enjoy it.  

This time of year means you can discover so much about yourself in a summer night.  Perhaps the street lights shine brighter to you when you are happy and thankful, and you catch yourself 10 miles over the speed limit as you turn your radio up.  Perhaps you learn that you are only as bored as you let yourself think you are.  Perhaps you learn that saying "yes" and jumping into to situations you were once scared of is really not so hard when you have the essence of a summer night as your wingman.  

Your summer will only be as good as the good stuff you let in, and as monumental as the bad stuff you let go of.  This summer is great. Any summer can be great. 

But this summer man. T

his summer is poetic in every sense.  Spiraling through the unpredictable nights, the beautiful days, and these early mornings in which you can truly capture the full impact of a great summer day, and an even better night. 

There is just something about going throughout your day, without so much as thinking about anything but that moment, completely unaware of how much fun you are actually having, then having the chance to reflect on it all at the end of the day in ONE HUGE MOTION and taking in all the feelings that came with the day.  Its incredible.  Its like finding out your favorite band is coming to your city.  Or that your best friend will start working with you.  Or that maybe, you are finally doing something right and heading in the right direction.

Its amazing, and unbelievably elating.  

I feel like I have totally recaptured what I once saw summer to be.  Poetic, and unpredictable, full of opportunities and chances to say yes.  FULL of spontaneity and possibilities.  A perpetual feeling of being on the brink of doing something great and exciting.  It feels good to enjoy summer for everything its worth, and take advantage of all the great things that are often overlooked and can do you a whole lot of good. 

There is something nostalgic about creating your own fun, and not needing to rely on a schedule or a common area to do it for you.  I am entirely thankful for the summer nights that remind me that summer break isn't just about taking a break from thinking and dealing with reality, but a chance to remind yourself that there is so much to this life, and that when you combine the right amounts of thinking, and adventure, you are bound to create something memorable.  Something worth writing about.  Or something, I guess, strangely un-explainable  and oddly poetic.