Summer In Your Face
A celebration of the most aggressive season
Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
– Henry James
In Chicago, enjoying summer is a competition.
There’s a lot of performance involved in broadcasting how many times you’ve jumped in the lake, gone camping with friends, if you have a hot new boo, how late you stayed up last night kiki-ing on your bestie’s stoop, enjoying the humid night air and the sounds of the cicadas… etc.
This is of course because for the 7 other months of the year, going outside at all requires the mental fortitude of a soldier walking into battle.
I am a shameless and glad participant of this annual summer competition. It’s shocking how much you can feel when the elements all but coerce you to lay down in the grass, go weeks without close-toed shoes, and expose every inch of your skin to the glorious and radiant sun. Summer is when I feel the most present in my body and connected to my senses.
Recently, some friends and I were trying to list the Seven Wonders of the Word (and failed), then the conversation evolved into deciding on the Seven Wonders of Chicago.
We unanimously voted the Montrose Ledges as our top contender.
Cleansing your sins (or at least just your hangover) in Lake Michigan is pure ecstasy. Renewed, rebirthed, floating.
Summer is the season when hobbies and routines fall by the wayside. Your schedule can never be too full because you need to always stay available to the text you can never pass up: “lake jump rn?”
Time moves slowly in the summer months. The sun takes its time cresting above the city, expanding time as sticky afternoons stretch into languid evenings. The sunsets are glorious. Feelings and thoughts linger. Everything glows in the heat.
Now that the weather is getting blustery again and we’re a week past the fall equinox, I’m making peace with summer’s end and recounting some highlights.
May
"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, The Great Gatsby
In May, things were just beginning to turn green.
Neighbor’s Garden in Logan Square completely transformed in a month:
I was going on runs and listening to Brittle Brian, Yuck and so much Frog (chillin’ is a virtue when you’re up way past your curfew). Humboldt is my favorite place to run.
Blaine and I went camping in Baraboo, Wisconsin and found a holy campsite.
We also had an amazing moment at St. Vinny’s thrift; the store was right on the Wisconsin River and we were there right as a storm was ending. I found a perfect CD for Blaine, too.
We saw a hawk at Devil’s Lake, we swam at Pewitt’s Nest, and I wore my Harry Smith shirt.
More of the music I listened to in May: Norma Tanega, MJ Lenderman, R. Stevie Moore, youbet. Find it below.
June
"Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly."
―Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets
June was slow, sunny, calm and quiet.
I read a funny zine by Babak Gangei.
I loved this part the most: The supermarket as “a theme park, a holiday, and an escape room.”
I ran around Humboldt Park some days, and listened to BRAT a lot!! Lest we forget how exciting it was before the world caught on.
I ate farmers’ market sandwiches in the backyard with Sky, Meg, and Blaine.
I went on the architecture tour for the first time and marveled again at Marina City.
Georgia came to visit and we got to re-live our perfect 2023 summer here, if only for a weekend.
Meg read an amazing short story she wrote and so many people came to listen.
I kept running and listening to BRAT over and over! “Everything is romantic” takes the cake for best song.
July
July was more active. I reunited with a lot of old friends and relished in the comfort and self-assuredness that comes from spending time with those you have such long histories with.
The month began with a trip to visit Caroline and Ruby in Liliwaup, WA, where they’re living this summer and working at an oyster farm. Liliwaup is a tiny town on the bottom of the Hood Canal, about 45 min. north of Olympia. We paddleboarded with seals, hiked in Olympic National Park, ate lots of oysters. I read A Prayer For Owen Meany.
On July 4th, I took a redeye from Seattle to Martha’s Vineyard to visit Ellis for their birthday. We went to the beach every day, ate a lot, and our skin got gooey from the humidity.
I returned to Chicago with renewed momentum and excitement. I went to Square Roots Fest in Lincoln Square and got to see The Big Star Quintet play so many of my favorite songs: “The Ballad of El Goodo,” “O My Soul,” “I’m in Love With a Girl,” “September Gurls,” and “Thirteen.” That was probably the best show I saw this summer :)
In late July, Max came to visit and we had a ball! We matched, we drank beer, we biked to Pilsen, we danced in Humboldt.
I became obsessed with the song “At the Hotel” by Eunice Collins and “I Am a Child” by Buffalo Springfield. I started listening to Adult Mom again for the first time since high school. More of that here:
August
I visited my parents in Atlanta and I ate so well… 🤤
My Dad and I did some mountain biking by the Chatahoochee. It was hot as hell but it was gorgeous and exhilarating as always. It was gratifying to sweat so much.
Back in Chicago, I went on some solo rides and some rides with friends. I got the best-ever gas station sunglasses for $5.
I also went on the longest ride I’ve ever gone on; Matt and I biked 50+ miles to Indiana and back! It was thrilling.
Other than biking, I read The 100 Years’ War on Palestine and I finally started listening to Chappell Roan. I don’t mean for that sentence to sound callous. I’ve been wondering all year how to properly split my attention between Palestinians being bombarded to death and anything else but I am learning. It’s extremely depressing and disturbing.
I started listening to Kitty Craft, Frankie Cosmos again, and Regina Spektor.
September
I turned 24 on Sep. 4th! I had a party at my apartment and stuffed a bowl full of conversation prompts like:
What are your opinions on Billie Eilish’s new song LUNCH?
How do you feel about Ella Emhoff?
What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?
Movie that everyone loves but you hated?
Your most parasocial relationship?
Describe your vibe in middle school
I have more where those came from. It was fun! I also of course made the Best Party Playlist Ever.
On my actual birthday the next day, I got to see Blaine open for a band I love, @, and Blaine gave me a shoutout onstage. I felt like a celebrity.
The first weekend of September, I went on a really sweet trip to Minneapolis with my hot besties. I’d never been, and we just wanted to explore. We stayed in a neighborhood called Nokomis, in the south, and went sailing for an afternoon. We had amazing breakfasts.
On the way home, we stopped at this overlook in Eau Claire, WI, and stumbled upon a teepee that reminded me of the one in Petite Maman.
I took a nice photo of Minnehaha Falls.
Back in Chicago the next weekend, we celebrated Molly’s birthday. Sky made an award-winning cake as per usual.
Meg was gone all of August, so we spent a lot of time together in September reading short stories together, sharing podcasts in the park and biking around. Here are two photos I took of her that make me smile!
I listened to Big Swiss on audiobook and read the book Prep. Both were pretty sharp and engaging.
I’ve been listening to the band Happyness, I got to see Built to Spill, I saw the Breeders play Pod and Last Splash, I saw Andy Shauf and Jessica Pratt. I’ve been listening to Peel Dream Magazine, MJ Lenderman’s new album, and Allegra Krieger.
This month has been characterized by big feelings of love :)
My social life this month has felt rich and fulfilling. My friends have been making me feel happy, calm, inspired, and grateful. I’m counting my blessings.
Accepting a Mellower Season
My vibe today: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened :’)
“How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?”
―Dr. Seuss
Now that I’ve celebrated these memories, I can put them to rest a little easier as I bid adieu to the lake, transition to a diet of all things gourd/squash/tuber, and start layering up in my puffy jacket and mittens for my hot girl walks.
Now you decide: did I win the summer competition?
Ok I’m obsessed with the supermarket passage. Also enjoyed reading this… keeping me in tune with fun in chicago<3
I’m crying Mimi this is so beautiful