Hey friends!

As I write this it’s March 17th. Saint Patrick’s Day. So everyone in New Jersey is out drinking green beer and pretending to be Irish.

I just got out of the bath and have no intention of leaving my bed. (I am also thick into revisions on my novel as I race toward a deadline. So, this era of my novel writing experience is really feeling much like those days when the bag of ungraded papers would follow me around like an unwanted ghost. Except, I actually want to revise my novel.)

That’s not the point of this blog.

It’s 4pm. The sun is high in the sky and won’t set until after 7. Daylight savings was last weekend. It’s 64 degrees outside, and the Spring solstice is days away.

And my reverse seasonal depression is knocking at my door.

I’m going to try to explain what it feels like, so my apologies if this makes absolutely no sense. But my spring and summer sadness kind of feels like a bubble of emotion that wants to pop but can’t. Like I have all of these feelings that have built to bursting but they have nowhere to go.

Because I spent 30 years schooling in some capacity, summer was always a time to hang out with friends, travel, decompress. But things are different now that I’m not teaching. I have a job during the summer. I can’t just f**k off to Europe for a month. I can’t just go to a friend’s house, drinking cocktails and hanging out by the pool on a Wednesday.

(I did have jobs for the summer all through college, but those jobs were either working at a pre-school, working on campus, or baby-sitting…so there was lots of time spent outside and with water. Children love water.)

I get it. This is adulthood (and very much a first world problem.)

My request: can you give me some activities that will help me really feel like I’m taking advantage of the spring and summer? Help me pop this bubble of emotion so that I can finally feel relief! I want to lean into these warmer months again.

Should I be planting a garden? Should I be reading in my backyard on a blanket under a tree? Should I go walk in the park? Should I be doing all of these things??

I mean, probably. Right?

What are some of the things that make spring and summer FEEL like spring and summer to you?

Oooo! I have an idea for the blog: The Spring and Summer Series – you give me suggestions of activities (within reason – I’ve already been skydiving. That is a one and done experience), I will try the activity and report back on how it went every week.

If no one gives me any suggestions, I have this book called, “What to Do When You’re Feeling Blue” that I might actually try doing all of the activities in.

What do you think? I’m on board if you are.

Until next time, friends.