Summer in books always seems like the most wonderful thing in the world, doesn’t it ?
Exciting opporrtunities, lots of time with long-lost friends, night outs, full days of reading under the sun … Though I cannot think of many books that make me think of summer reads, movies and books always seems to paint that picture perfect look of summer we’d all aspire (and surely did when we were growing up) – but what does the reality looks like?
Although some real families do go in out-of-country vacations all summer long, or have a cottage somewhere in another country, my family never has been that lucky. I wouldn’t say we were poor, but quite average – then mom got sick. You might never thought of this before when you didn’t had to, but going anywhere while someone is on dialysis is quite the struggle. While doing the peritonial dialysis, you need 3 big 2lbs pouches of saline water per day; if you wanna go away for a week, that’s 14 of thoses pouches you need to bring along with you. Then you have the hemodialysis – the one done in an hospital three times a week, hooked on a machine that filter the blood for your (a duration of 4hours per “trip”). so you’d need somewhere where you can get thoses traitments while away- cruising ships with dialysis on board Is a thing – but you can imagine it costs quite a LOT aswell. Although she has gotten a kidney now, we just don’t really has the funds for passports/plane/etc. that would be needed. Not thinking of the possibility of her getting sick while abroad as she has no immunity, needing her to take meds that will counter the effects of the anti-rejects and well .. it can turns out really bad.
Believe it or not, beaches are not quite accessible where we live now opposed to where we used to live; which was a coastal atlantic town filled with fishermans. The closest town, having only two public beaches, is atleast an hour/hour and thirdy minutes away. Which is of course FILLED to the rim of people due to the limitation of them, and that’s not saying how many times they closed last summer due to insalubrity or the quantity of bacterias in the water.. so I wouldn’t be so trusting of dipping in it 😂
As for how much free time those characters seems to have – I have bad news for you.. while in school you have the FULL summer to do whatever you want (giving that you aren’t working a summer job), adulting takes all that away xd its all just regular days of work now, just that the weather is more hotter and you see the sunshine more. Just another thing that fiction make appear way less fun that reality, ahaha
Although I am lucky enough to have a trip planned this summer (alas not a family one), my summer will basically all be spent working, aswell as trying to jam blogging, gaming and reading in the hours I am not working 😅 Nothing too exciting, really.
What does your real summer looks like ?
Anything exciting awating you this year?
Is there one “summer thing” that you are tired of being seen in books ?
I only went to the beach once this summer and most of the days, I’m stuck in the house, doing nothing aside from reading and watching. I want to travel, but I’m too lazy to prepare. 😂
Hah, I feel you 😂 we leave in less than a week and still have nothing but a list done.. and stressing upon if i’d manage a week without my weeins/meeting his mom for the first time.,
Heat is nice but OH BOY, I can’t when it’s too much- and it’s more often than not too much for me.
Have you read these scenes in books, where the heroine is working, she’s taken a short break? She’s got something cool in her hand that she’s sipping on. It’s HOT but she’s got this. She’s smiling, enjoying the sun and all round cheerful, treating her customers well. It’s a great day.
Just no 😂😂 If it’s hot and you’re working, your clothes are sticking to you, your hair is plastered to your scalp and you’re all but fainting. You almost bit off someone’s head two seconds ago and you’re not sipping your drink, you’re all but tossing it over your head because it’s SWELTERING 😂😂😂😂
Have a lovely relaxing summer Kristina 🙂
Ahahahahaha oh god I don’t think I did 😂😂 but THIS!! Great explanation ahah
To be fair my job ain’t all that hot- though the other day it did cranked up at 23’C in store (opposed to the 33’C outside..) – and I did felt like fainting/too hot for me to manage, but it resumed after a while xd
Thank you 🥰 Have a good summer aswell!
My summers are just like my regular days: hot, stuffy, full of rude/annoying customers, fans everywhere. Winter is even worse with all the snow, blizzards, freezing winds. For the 4th of July this year, my mom and I TRIED to go to the beach with some friends, but it was so damn hot and packed with people, that my mom changed her mind last minute and we’d hung out with our cousins who live a 20-25 minute drive away, as opposed to the 2 hrs it’d take for us to drive to the beach. I’ve sometimes envied Summers in books, with how all these characters have so much free time! But then, most of those characters are in high school/college, so they have a reason to enjoy their summers more.
Aww im sorry to hear that.. honestly i’ve been jealous of them too-though you do have a point there.. but sometimes I wonder if mine would be more eventful if id have any friends you know?
Really interesting thoughts! I’m tired of seeing those long beach days with no care in the world type feelings. Life doesn’t stop just because it’s summer!
Yeah – unfortunately for us 😅 though less interesting to read perhaps, it’d be nice to see a real summer portrayed for once
Reading about summer trips in books gave me such high expectations of what summer vacations should be like. We do very little travelling during the summer, though last year we did take a small road trip for two days! It’s hard to get away when you have obligations and I would rather travel in the fall when it’s a bit cheaper lol.
And so much colder too!
Yeps, I agree.. this was disapointing after having read so many cool things in books 😂 but then I guess it wouldn’t sell as much if books had « not-so impressive » summer vacations eh ahaha
One of the things about transitioning out of school and into full time work was there’s no real “summer” any more. My days are exactly the same and I totally agree with that commenter above that said the heat tends to make people more unpleasant and temperamental. Books make summer so much more fun!
Hope you have a great trip!
Yeap, definately one of the hardest part about growing up.. Thank you xx