I’m trying to take advantage of the summer. To live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. For this month, I aimed to have and capture new experiences. Looking back, I have fond feelings about June, so I’ll call it a success.
For my birthday, Dan and I went to Door County, Wisconsin and camped at Peninsula State Park. It was beautiful there. We had a cozy campsite that was screened in by honeysuckle and other brush. Pine trees stood in and around our site, so we had a canopy above us too.
Next week, Dan was pet siting for his family. Even though it was just another suburb, spending time at his aunt’s house was a little getaway. I swam in a pool for the first time in years and was seriously happy to splash around in it.
I also shot part of a music video with Melissa, who sings for a metal band. I’ll likely collaborate with her on more videos in the future. It felt good to be back in the “studio,” which in the case, was her basement rigged with a green screen, lights, and even a leaf blower for a practical wind effect.
For Father’s Day, I took my dad out for brunch in Wheaton. Throughout my life, we’ve spent a lot of time together, especially walking and talking. But walking and talking around Wheaton, a place we rarely go to, switched things up a bit.
That night, a tornado ripped through a neighborhood 3 miles south of where I live. Tornados happen so infrequently around here that I forget about them. This one did an incredible amount of damage to several houses and an incredible lack of damage to houses right next door.
Driving by a ruined house with a missing wall felt more like visiting a film set rather than peeping in at someone’s very real misfortune. Having your home destroyed is hard to comprehend.
I stopped by Greene Valley Forest Preserve to see if it had been affected. In one part of the forest, there were many downed trees, roof shingles, and even a twisted piece of a metal garage door. Otherwise, nature was still beating its summer rhythm, sending out flowers and fruits.
This month’s last activity was attending my cousin’s bridal shower. It was my first time seeing many people in my family since COVID.
I sincerely love my daily routine. It enables me to stay remarkably healthy and productive. However, I’m happy my June weeks were spotted with new experiences. There’s something about new environments, new people, new stimuli that make me feel more alive.
Of course, all that new stimuli is also tiring. As I get to know myself better, I respect my need for a slower paced life on most days. I also know that I need occasional doses of new experiences and change to stoke the fire and prevent me from burning out on my routine. These June moments fill me with gratitude—for both the novel and the familiar.
