Vaxed, Waxed, and Ready to Relax.
Objective: Make up for summer 2020 during summer 2021.
#TheLostSummer (as I like to call it) was the summer of 2020. With no vaccine on the horizon, nothing to do because everything was closed or at low capacity, and COVID-19 still on the loose, no one had any idea how to be. Stay inside and look at the Roku screen saver of National Parks? Go to the pool and sweat your face off with a mask on? Take a socially distanced vacation and hope for the best? I chose to re-watch the entire five seasons of Jersey Shore and hide away at OBX for a week, glaring at anyone to get within 10 feet of my beach chair.
This summer, however, is different. We’re #vaxed. Which means we can emerge from our hibernation and maybe get a haircut, a good waxing, and a new bathing suit. We can plan for vacations, see family safety, hang out with friends, and begin to let go of the COVID-19 anxiety. Or so it seems.
In conversation with many of my millennial friends, we’re agreeing that our social calendars are filling quickly—and maybe a little too quickly. With a long friend list and summer activities coming at us left and right, it’s difficult to manage the influx of travel and socialization after a year of isolation.
For the extroverts like me, burn out is inevitable. Too many happy hours, too many beach trips, too many coffee dates and walks at the park and outdoor concerts. It’ll catch up with us because we thrive in social situations and we haven’t had to set boundaries for the last year. Every new outing is “YES! I’ll be there!” instead of, “Let me check my schedule and get back to you.”
Just this week, I have three happy hours, one friend date, one family day (the first one mask free since Christmas 2019), and a virtual event to attend. How can I be suddenly overwhelmed by the social schedule I’ve been longing for for 15 months?
For the introverts like my partner, it’s overwhelming to balance it all. How much alone time do I need to recharge? Are there enough days in the month to see all my friends without crumbling under the exhaustion of being around others? When do I get to #NetflixAndChill again?
In short, it’s a good problem to have. Can you imagine another summer of 2020? I shudder at the thought.
While events like the #MILLSUMMIT, happy hours, vacations, beer gardens, outdoor concerts, and pool time are what make summers great, it’s also important to recognize how we’ve all been changed by the 15 months of cautious socialization. Prioritizing the people we want to see and events we want to attend will help keep us enjoying summer, instead of yawning through it.
TBH, I’m still getting used to a naked face indoors (mask free), and standing close to others outside. I’m still getting used to a bustling social calendar and live music on the schedule. I’m sure by the time we get the hang of it, I’ll be writing about back to school and we’ll be dreaming of pumpkin spice. But until then, let’s be #vaxed, #waxed, and ready to #relax this summer. Whether that means a solo hike at White Clay to recharge or a happy hour with your friend group.
Plan your summer with intention, and mostly importantly, don’t forget the sunscreen. That pale #QuarantineSkin will burn easily.