It’s interesting, the different ways people are experiencing summer. For some of us, it’s whizzing by too fast and we can see the end in sight. Others feel like summer has just begun, and in Anne’s last post she said “I’ve noticed that my life does not really change in rhythm when summer begins.”
Like most people with school-age children, I DEFINITELY notice a change of rhythm in the summer. And, I’ve been enjoying it immensely. I don’t have to get up in the dark! There’s no rushing in the morning to get a lunch packed and my daughter to school. I can stay up later at night reading! I love it.
There are some details about the summer that I’m not loving, however. One is the lack of running. This is the second week of no running because of my calf issue, and even before that running was sporadic (and, sometimes painful.) I’m lucky that I’m still able to do everything else, like walk (ho hum) pool run (arg) the stair climber (ARG!) and weightlifting (sigh.) Seriously, I’m glad I can be active, but my life just seems a little less “sparkly” without running.
The other little, pesky irritation about summer is that, while I’m glad everyone is home, it’s just that, well, everyone is HOME. Sometimes the houses feels a little crowded. I don’t mind it at dinner and in the evening- then it feels cozy to have everyone here. But during the school year I’m used to having a little more time to myself, particularly on my Wednesdays off.
Last week I read this article on Modern Mrs. Darcy: “7 Tips for Planning Your Own Personal Reader’s Retreat”. Ooooh! I want my own personal reader’s retreat!
Unfortunately I can’t do anything extreme like check into a hotel for the weekend, or lock myself in the bedroom for two days. But I’m declaring this Wednesday my “Day of Reading,” aka a mini-reading retreat. Contrary to what the photo at the top of this post implies, I will NOT be reading on the beach, because that would be terrible. My plans for the day include 1) finish the book I’m currently reading, 2) go through my TBR and pick a few books to read next, 3) visit the bookstore and library, where I will browse and return home with a new stack of books. All of this will be done comfortably inside with the AC blasting away.
I had some big running plans for the summer, but when I look back on it I’ll think of it as the “Summer of Reading.” I’ll take that as my second choice, happily.
How would you plan a “reading retreat” for yourself?
If you had to call this the “Summer of —-” what would you say?
Top photo by Link Hoang on Unsplash
31 Responses
I LOVE the idea of a reading retreat! It sounds so decadent. I think my reading retreat would involve either:
a) a couch, a lap blanket, a cup of hot tea (that magically never gets cold), cold weather outside, and a cat (even though I don’t really want a cat in real life. Maybe I could find a place with a cat?)
or
b) a hammock strung in the shade between two trees, and a cold lemonade. Oh and I love your idea of a visit to a bookstore as well.
I think the first part of Summer was The Summer of Swim. This next part is going to be The Summer of Sitting in Traffic.
I hope you get back to running soon!
Ha, the Summer of Sitting in Traffic sounds almost as much fun as The Summer of Not Running.
I LOVE both your versions of a retreat- for the first one, I have a cat and the tea. Now I just need an empty house and to not live in Florida. Oh and by the way I know there are “cat cafes” where you could probably sit with a nice hot cup of tea and a book, and pet a cat. You’d have to see if there’s one in your area!
I’d totally do a reading retreat, ideally coupled with running if possible because I love the combination of active vacation with relaxing activity like running.
We will be traveling for two weeks with a lot of downtime, so will load up kindle and read a ton.
I’ll definitely be either going to the gym or doing a pool run before my official “retreat” starts, because I also like the combination of exercise and relaxation. And- it sound like you kind of do have a reading retreat coming up!
So sorry that your calf issue is persisting!
But there are two good things about being injured:
1. your body gets a rest from running and you can come back even stronger (trust me, it works!).
2. you get to spend time on other fun things like reading!!
Enjoy your summer of reading – I bet you’re looking forward to tomorrow!
Thank you Catrina- I’ll keep telling myself that I’ll come back stronger. I am doing a lot of PT-type exercises so hopefully that will help!
Even with everyone home I find it pretty easy to read during the day, since I guess everyone is kind of doing their own thing, so does that count? I usually curl up for an hour or two or go out on the deck, and no one bothers me. So I guess what I’m saying is that every day is a bit of a reading retreat for me? That said I would totally be up for my own personal reading retreat, I know it’s too hot in Florida but I guess I could just go to the beach here.
For some strange reason, my family is totally fine without me when I’m not here, but if I’m here they suddenly can’t do anything. Mom, where’s the butter? My husband actually texted me at work yesterday telling me that Angie couldn’t find the butter. LOOK IN THE FRIDGE. Hmm, I guess they’re not really okay while I’m not here! I seriously doubt if I could get two uninterrupted hours of reading done in the house.
I basically stop reading in the summer. It’s a bit embarrassing but it happens every summer so I just need to admit summer is not my reading time. Now that I read Diane’s comment I think some of it has to do with temperature. I want to read when it’s dark and cold (I have ZERO desire to read on a beach). So I do most of my reading for the year between September and April.
Right now I’m reading James Herriot books. They’re gentle and funny and exactly the light and fluffy material I need. I read a few chapters each night because they’re mostly stand-alone stories. I’m also thinking of maybe reading the first few Anne of Green Gables books again, too?
Ha, I also have ZERO desire to read on a beach! Florida is so hot, we basically just don’t have an outdoor lifestyle from June-November. I know, it’s sad. But that means I can be cozy inside with the AC blasting while I read.
A reading retreat sounds heavenly right now! It’s one of the many things I’m looking forward to when we get home…
I cannot imagine checking into a hotel for a reading retreat though! Hotels are so bland and unexciting. I’m imagining my hammock, a watermelon lemonade, and the sounds of my family (in the distance, lol).
I actually love hotels, and I can’t really explain why. Maybe it’s because they’re bland? Theres no mess or clutter, so there’s no chores looming over me. I would totally check into a hotel for my reading retreat if I could!
I don’t have kids but I’d agree with you that the summer is going by so fast, because school starts back up here on August 1! And some school districts even started this week!
I’m sorry you haven’t been able to run as much this summer, but you’ve still stayed really active and I think that will help when you’re able to get back to running pain-free. I would call this my Summer of Adjusting Expectations with running because of the heat I’ve had to adjust my training and accept that I’ll be slower and may not get as many miles in as I did in previous training cycles but I’m doing my best and focusing more on time on feet/elevation gain!
Hmmm, I could call this the Summer of Adjusting Expectation too! And… August 1st is ridiculously early! We start back the 12th, which also seems early.
Ooooh I love that you are making Wednesday your Reading Retreat! I hope it becomes a regular (monthly???) thing! And haha — I laughed so hard at this: “I will NOT be reading on the beach, because that would be terrible. ” I hate the beach, so I have to agree.
It sounds so frustrating to continue to struggle with this calf issue. I understand how life can feel less “sparkly” without the thing that you love in it, and I hope you get back to running soon… or find other ways to add that sparkle back in.
Thank you Suzanne! I’m trying to add the sparkle back in with this reading retreat… but my biggest hope is to be back to running SOON.
It’s the summer of hospital rooms for me, but I’m refusing to let it get me down. We’re busting out of here today and then things are turning around. I’m going to enjoy the hot weather, bask in changing my clothes five times a day, and let the dog chew all the sticks she wants. We only get summer for such a short time and I need to enjoy every second of it!
Well I certainly hope the second part of your summer improves! Getting home from the hospital is a step in the right direction. Glad Dr. BB is feeling better.
Your reader retreat sounds delightful! I hope you have a wonderful day! I should make one of my shouldless days a reader retreat type of day. I do have a shouldless day this Friday but just a half day as our daycare is unexpectedly closing in the afternoon due to a memorial service for one of the very young co-owners who died from breast cancer. 🙁 So the closure is for a tragic reason. But maybe my Sept shouldless day could be a reader retreat type of day or even a half day. It’s good to give ourselves permission to really lean into a holiday. My reader retreat would probably involve me just reading for hours on end, probably in my bed!
Summer is not all that different for us either since our kids are still in full-time childcare that offers the same hours as the school year. But our weekends feel much different since we have far more options. I think I would say this will be the summer of water since both boys are now into pools/splashpads/etc. Taco was not very into it last year and he’s still tentative about the water so I try to only go to places with zero entry wading pools. Even though the water is at most 2.5 feet deep, if that, he still does not like to step down into the water. He likes the zero entry experience better. But we have several options with zero entry so it’s fine.
Ugh, that’s such a bummer your should-less day was cut in half. Of course, not as much as a bummer as the young person dying from cancer, so I guess you can’t really complain.
I like the Summer of Water! Here in Florida, every summer was the Summer of Water when the kids were little- there was nothing else to do with them where we wouldn’t all roast to death.
This is a great idea, and I love that you break it down and make it approachable. Definitely stealing this idea.
Okay Sarah, if you have a reading retreat I want to hear all about it!
yay!!! I LOVED that MMD article. Agree, I also feel inspired to have a reading retreat! Sounds so lovely. And just think – isn’t it better to not be running NOW vs when the weather is gorgeous and we have 65 degree mornings!?!? (I know it’s never a good time to be injured but I’d still pick July over January!!!)
SHU, that is very true. I’ve been doing my pool runs in the afternoon, and it’s SO HOT that I’m actually happy to be getting in the pool. Of course I’d still rather be running… but better now than when it’s 50 degrees outside.
I have my Fabulous Fridays off from work, while my husband and daughter work. Sometimes I will take a book and take myself out for lunch or maybe just a glass of wine, and sit there and enjoy myself. Over the summer my daughter gets off of work at noon, so sometimes we want to do something, but otherwise it’s all me time. Other than her getting off early on Fridays, and my husband sometimes coming home early on Fridays, there is no real change to our schedule. Sadly we have no trips planned this year, though maybe we’ll do a staycation in September or October?
Okay, I’m going to have to name my Wednesdays- Wonderful Wednesdays? It doesn’t quite have the same ring as Fabulous Fridays though.
We also have no trips planned- other than my short trip to Texas with my son next month.
What a brilliant idea! Now mind you, one of my favorite things is to hole up on the beach under and umbrella and read all day, but a day spent reading not on the beach sounds like the next best thing.
Er yes the problem with summer in this stage of life is that everyone is home…but school will start soon enough.
This is “The Summer of Being All Over the Map”…I can’t pick a theme.
If I were to plan my own reading retreat,
a. the book must be carefully picked
b. my phone must be unaccessible
c. wifi disabled
d. snacks prepped
e. no children in the house lol
Summer of 2024 is a summer of ME 🙂
I used to do what I called Festival Of Liz which involved getting food in and then just hanging out in my flat, having long baths and reading a lot. But it probably wasn’t very good for me! I did read a whole book last weekend as I had a review book where the publicist was very keen for me to get it reviewed by the publication date! Hope you enjoy your book retreat.
One of my long-time goals is to rent an Airbnb for a weekend for a reading retreat. I want an Airbnb that has lots of cozy reading spots so I can change up where I read throughout the weekend. Maybe I’ll finally make this happen someday!
Hmm… I don’t know what to name this summer. My life also doesn’t change very much during the summer, aside from typically taking a longer vacation in the summertime. But mostly, the rhythms of my life stay the same throughout the year.
Oh, thanks for linking to me, Jenny! I find it fascinating how ‘summer’ differs so much! Your summer, and Sarah’s (at harrytimes) are so different from mine. I think the thing is, there are subtle differences in my summers – fewer meetings, thank goodness – but by and large, MY work doesn’t change. (And honestly, there are still a lot of meetings…)
LOVE the idea of a reading retreat and can’t wait to read (ha) about it.