Dreaming in Ink: Summer Sweet

Summer days tend to bring out the (often hidden) country girl in me. Turn up the heat and immediately I want to throw on a sundress, hop in my dad’s butch-green truck that I despised for years until finally accepting it, and drive around with the windows down listening to Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift.

In my vernacular, summer means popsicles, numerous pairs of sandals (or bare feet, depending on who you are), denim shorts, stunner shades, hammocks, the smell of suntan lotion that always brings me back to the beach, lightening bugs, drive-ins, boat rides, lighthearted novels, carnivals, sweet tea & lemonade, watermelon… containers of watermelon, hiking, camping with bon fires, parking myself poolside, outdoor eateries and concerts, and I think you get the gist…

It’s like my entire being changes when the sun rolls in; I shed my winter persona and submerge into a happy-go-lucky soul without a care in the world. Bedtimes are nonexistent regardless if there’s work in the morning; nails are always painted a neon hue, napping outside is accompanied by tropical spa music (what?), and the bamboo wind chime I bought years ago in St. Maarten is proudly hanging in front of my bedroom window. And summer nights? It’s the sound of outdoor parties and gatherings that carry on ‘til the late hours, complemented by food on the grill, music, laughter and hanging lanterns. It’s falling asleep with that peaceful feeling when you know everyone is out sharing in that same realm of untroubled enjoyment.

Sure, I might occasionally have my summer days where I’ll inflate from the heat, look like a ravaged chickenpox victim thanks to mosquitoes, or witness how my hair tends to mock my attempts at straightening it by frizzing as big as humanly possible. But hey, it’s all in the name of summer, right? I choose to focus on the good, and hopefully you’ll do the same. That is, unless you despise sunshine and warmth… then I’m afraid I can’t help you. :)