It’s January. To most of the country right now, heck, to most of the Northern Hemisphere right now, that means snow, snow, and more snow, with maybe a little more snow mixed in. But to me, here in sunny southern California, that means Santa Ana winds and heat! It’s 80 today, it was 80 yesterday, and it’ll be hotter than 80 tomorrow. And while I love, and I mean absolutely love cold weather, I’m so not complaining right now! Because it’s a new year, I woke up today about 97% over my cold, and I’ve got that anything-can-happen-I-am-invincible-summer-break-feeling.
You know that feeling you get when the sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and you just feel great about being alive? Yeah, that’s my summer break feeling. And I think today I’m going to have an adventure. Maybe walk my dog and actually leave the
house for the first time in a week. Maybe get in my car, roll the windows down, and drive down my favorite horse-filled street with the country music blaring. Maybe I’ll just clean my room, which could prove to be the most dangerous task I ever undertake seeing as I’ve been neglecting it for…ever.
Any way you slice it, these don’t sound like fascinating, mind-blowing, adrenaline-pumping kinds of things. But I’ve got that summer break feeling and anything is possible. I wish I could grasp this feeling whenever productivity is calling my name and I’m just too tired, too cold, or too lazy to do anything about it. I want to challenge myself, in this new year that I’ve gotten a late start on, to find that summer break feeling any time of year, and really just hold on to it as long as I can. I could watch a movie with a beach (“Holiday in the Sun,” “The Moon Spinners,” and “Summer Holiday” are really useful for this!), listen to my motivational/travel playlist because every one of those songs just seems like it should be blasted on PCH* with the windows all the way down. And there’s always books; because books are truly the best way to travel on a budget I think!
However you do it, in whatever form, I challenge you to find your summer break feeling. There’s nothing better than thinking of the sun and being in a good mood when the weather outside is frightful. I think you’ll be surprised what adventures you’ll find and in what places once you’ve found it. Even laundry (my most hated chore) suddenly finds some (small) appeal, but hey, that’s more than it has on a wintry day!
So have fun, go on an adventure, and enjoy that summer break feeling!
*PCH= Pacific Coast Highway, CA 1