This year, what about a simple summer?
Five ideas for a more sustainable, economical, relaxing and gratifying summertime.
Relaxing in the sand with a pourover coffee
Summer always seems filled to the brim. The days stretch longer, school is out, and vacation season begins.
We take planes, trains and automobiles. We swim and drive and walk and bike.
Collectively, we drive billions of more miles in summer than the rest of year and the same goes for air travel.
And with all of this travel comes trash. From single-serve plastics from takeout food to the tiny plastic shampoo bottles and facewashes used during travel—we consume more and throw more away. We even waste 30 percent more food in the summer.
Combine these facts with rising prices on everything and it gets us to wondering —what if we could do it differently this summer?
What happens if we simplify summer? The sun will still shine, and the days will still be warm and long. And there’s a whole world of simple delights right in our own backyards—literally in some cases.
Mission: Simplify Summer
Don’t worry—we’re not trying to call off summer! There may still be travel and there will certainly be out-of-towners come to visit. It’s that we’re actively simplifying where we can.
The mission? Make summer more sustainable and relaxing (read: less stressful) by making it simpler, easier and more economical.
Here’s the plan, though we’re open to more ideas!
We’re making a “frolic bag”
What if you have fun with you no matter where you go? Enter the frolic bag!
It’s a bag stocked with fun goodies that you pull out at the park, at a local cafe, on the bus, or wherever you find yourself for impromptu fun. The key is to have it prepacked and ready to grab when you head out the door and you’ll always be adventure ready.
You don’t have to purchase a special bag for this — just use any crossbody or backpack or cloth shopping bag you already own. Fill it with your frolic supplies and leave it right by the door.
Our favorite frolic bag contents:
Games: Playing cards, a set of dice, or your favorite portable game set. Don’t forget a small pad of paper and a pen or two.
Creative inspirations: Old (but working) digital camera, drawing supplies and notebook, or a tiny watercolor set.
Reading material: A book of short poems is sure to delight—have you read a poem to someone lately?! May we suggest this one or this one?
Snacks (of course!) and a refillable water bottle, too.
Lounging supplies: A small, foldable blanket, like this one would work great for picking a shady spot to read or chat.
Picnic gear: A reusable spoon/knife/fork will always be handy, and we suggest a multitool with a bottle opener.
Miscellany: A flashlight will probably get used and you’ll be glad you have bug spray, hand sanitizer, and a reusable bag or two (we like these).
We’re going on meanders
If you live in a town with more than one large road, chances are you’re missing out on some great local businesses and green spaces.
Summer is a great time to rectify that! Pick an area of town you haven't spent much time in and head that way. (Don’t forget your frolic bag!) Then just meander. Duck in and out of local shops, talking to the people you meet. Ask them what they love about the area and then go do that.
Set a budget for the day if you can or find the free adventures through local parks, events and public art.
We’ve found some excellent places to eat, drink, gander and relax by just meandering through new-to-us areas of town.
Caveat: When you set out on an agendaless meander, you’re sure to find something special - but you also may encounter odd hours, closed shops, and areas that aren’t super walkable. Stay flexible and be willing to backtrack if needed. The rewards almost always outweigh the inconveniences.
We’re preserving the season
Summer is peak farmer’s market season and a great time to stock up on berries, cucumbers, peppers and fresh herbs. And if you haven’t learned the fine art of pickling and preserving, maybe this is your year?
If you want to save on fruits and vegetables for the whole year, consider stocking up while they are in season and throwing a jam-making, preserving and pickling party.
You’ll have fun at home and everyone will leave with a case of preserved goodness to crack open in the heart of winter.
You’ll find lots of great explainers online. Like this one. Or this one.
We’re volunteering
Sometimes the most gratifying way to spend time, alone or with others, is to spend it in the service of others.
If you and your loved ones have time to spend this summer, why not spend some of it at a local park cleanup, visiting with the elderly, distributing food, helping with childcare for those who need it, or engaging with local activists for causes that are important to you.
Not only will you be making a direct and measurable impact in your local community, according to several studies, you’ll also feel more gratified, grow closer to the people you volunteer with, and experience a happiness boost!
Look for your local UnitedWay for opportunities or search nationwide databases like this one with Idealist.
We’re doing nothing
After all of the frolicking, the meandering, the preserving and volunteering, we’re going to sit and do nothing.
Author Jenny Odell, in her 2019 book How to Do Nothing spells out the deep need we have to resist the constant urge to always be doing.
She describes her book as “a field guide to doing nothing as an act of political resistance to the attention economy … I want this not only for artists and writers, but for any person who perceives life to be more than an instrument and therefore something that cannot be optimized. A simple refusal motivates my argument: refusal to believe that the present time and place, and the people who are here with us, are somehow not enough… Solitude, observation, and simple conviviality should be recognized not only as ends in and of themselves, but inalienable rights belonging to anyone lucky enough to be alive.”
And we are all right now lucky enough to be alive. So maybe pop this book into your frolic bag and head out on a meander. Find a shady spot in your local park. Sit for a moment or ten and do nothing.
Welcome to your own simple summer. What are you packing in your frolc bag??
