2021 was going to be our year. This was to be a summer of fun and (almost) unfettered freedom following the 2020 pandemic.
2020 was known as the year we all stayed home. 2020 was the year we all discovered what “lived in” really looked like at home (and that open concept living spaces are a tool of the devil if you are trying to simultaneously hold Zoom meetings and online schools throughout the house).
People veered from loneliness to too much togetherness in lock-down. With an ebb in the pandemic and most states reopening, 2021 was going to be our summer to shine!
Plans
I had big plans for summer 2021. We were going to take evening strolls, perhaps try bicycling. We would travel a little bit.
Perhaps we would rent a cabin for a long weekend? I envisioned backyard gatherings with friends that went into the night. We would cluster around a campfire and make memories and s’mores.
In reality, we boated once, attended one (free) outdoor concert, and have generally just enjoyed staying home. Funny the difference a year makes.
Last summer staying home felt akin to some sort of punishment. Nothing to do and endless days to do it.
This year, staying home — by choice — feels like a treat. I love our home. I like my stuff. My own bed. My own snacks. I am happy for people who love to go, go, go. I’m the opposite of that. I love to stay in.
Wait
So, on that topic, I have flipped the script. What I did not do this summer was wait in lines. I just don’t do that by choice anymore.
If “everyone” is going to something I can pretty much guarantee I don’t want to go. The sheer popularity of the event puts me off. Concerts, big sales, hot new restaurants? If there is a waiting list, I’ll pass. I’ll catch it when the hype dies down.
I also enjoy early-bird dinners. I do not want to eat dinner at 8 p.m. That’s pushing into my bedtime, friends.
Friends
Speaking of friends, I did not spend much time with people who don’t respect my boundaries — or bedtime. My book club still meets but we stick by our motto: “Home by 9.”
It is so important in life to find your people. My people go to bed early.
I also didn’t not book any flights or dust off my passport. After a year spent in lockdown, just being able to go to the local market is pretty exciting if you ask me.
What more could a girl want than access to fresh kale? Anything else is just gilding the lily at that point.
I’m enjoying farm markets, slow afternoons spent mowing while listening to my murder podcasts (do NOT sneak up on me while I’m doing this. I will startle and probably kick you).
I’ve eaten quite a bit of fresh sweet corn and way too much ice cream. I have read some books in the shade and put off painting the porch for another week.
So in this glorious summer of 2021 what did I do on my summer vacation? Nothing. A whole lot of nothing and it was glorious.
