“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Memories…
Despite the sweltering heat, the sweat dripping down our backs and the clothes sticking to parts of our bodies we didn’t even know existed, I do love summer. I guess living a stone’s throw away from the beach may be part of the reason why I look forward to it so much every year. When I see kids running out of the gates on their last day of school, I am instantly reminded of those long-anticipated summer holidays spent at the beach with my best friend and cousins, eating ice-cream like our lives depended on it, followed by lazy afternoons watching reruns of our favourite TV shows while munching on huge bowls of Nesquik cereal! I also used to love spending time on my own, listening to my favourite songs on my old CD player while reading, drawing or writing long-winded letters to my friends, which we later exchanged in the evenings. Those school-free months were some of the best moments of my life and I will truly cherish them forever.
What I’m looking forward to this Summer…
- FESTA! In Malta Summer means FESTA time, which is basically a traditional religious feast that takes place in almost every village on the island and usually involves beautiful fireworks, loads of food, bands, processions and happy celebrations. I always look forward to it, not only because it is a great opportunity to meet up with all of my family but also as a way to unwind and enjoy the beautiful colours which decorate every street.
- This year I’m also looking forward to the FIFA World Cup! I either watch the games at home or meet up with my friends at a cafe where they livestream the matches on a big screen…although I do scream myself hoarse whenever my favourite team scores so being around people might not always be a good idea!
- Refreshing fruit salads; ripe peaches, juicy slices of watermelon and pineapples…
- The beautiful rays of afternoon sunlight streaming through the window
- Evenings spent in the back garden with my family, playing crossword puzzles and laughing at our lame jokes
- Longer days, which mean more time spent reading!
- Rolling down the car windows, cranking up the radio and enjoying the wind on my face
- Weekend barbecues with my friends on the beach
- The change of clothes. There’s no denying it, I love spending money on new clothes so when the heat becomes unbearable, I use it as an excuse to buy more summer dresses!
- Going to the beach with my mum early in the mornings
- Iced lattes and ice cream cones!
Reading List…
This Summer I want to read loads of different books; short books, long books, classics, poetry, non-fiction, contemporary, fantasy…you name it! Somehow the longer days motivate me to read more so I’m allowing my reading list to be a tad bit overambitious…even more than usual anyway! My most highly anticipated read is definitely Save The Date by Morgan Matson. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of contemporary books but when summer comes along I seem to gravitate towards them and Morgan Matson’s books always brighten my day. So these are some of the books that I would love to read in these coming months:
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
Save The Date- Morgan Matson
The Raven King- Maggie Stiefvater
A Midsummer Night’s Dream- William Shakespeare
Americannah- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Universe of Us- Lang Leav
The Goldfinch- Donna Tartt
The Lost City of Z- David Grann
We, the drowned- Carsten Jensen
I also want to reread:
Station Eleven- Emily St. John Mandell
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour- Morgan Matson
Since You’ve Been Gone- Morgan Matson
The Shell Collector- Anthony Doerr
What do you love most about Summer? x
