It was a silly idea to walk. Late-aughts and the first day of summer. The air in NYC was sweltering, and for some reason, I had decided walking to the solstice party my boss's boss was throwing at his swanky NYC apartment made more sense than taking the subway.
The summer solstice is the day of the year when we have the most daylight hours. It happens when the Earth's pole is at the point where it is the most titled towards the sun, occurring twice a year, once in the Northern Hemisphere, normally around June 21st and once in the Southern Hemisphere, usually around December 21st. The sun also sets slower around the solstice, practically begging us to spend more time outside.
I was interning for a now-defunct Italian cooking magazine at the time of that solstice party. It was the first time I thought about the solstice outside of a grade-school science class or marking the start of summer and I remember thinking, what a lovely excuse for a party.
While there's no fancy solstice garden party in my future, I like marking the year's longest day. Here are some ideas.
Chase the sun. Wake up early to watch the sunrise.
Take a hike: Take a nature walk, paying attention to the plants, flowers and trees.
Learn about the sun's power: Collect flowers, grass, and even rocks. Place them on sun art paper in a shady part of the yard. These papers are pretty inexpensive, and after setting objects up on the print, carefully place them in a sunny spot and let them sit for five minutes or so before placing them in a tub of water for a minute and then laying them out to dry again after which you get to see how the sun's energy makes art.
Map the sounds in your garden or your favorite park. Sit in silence for a set time, even 5 minutes, taking notice of the sounds you hear and where you hear them. Some sounds might be immediately identifiable, such as the wind rustling a windchime. Others will happen intermittently, perhaps the buzzing of a bee or birds chirping. And then there are sounds you might only be able to identify after staying and listening for a while.
Read some books related to the solstice and summer
Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Yee
The Sun Egg by Elsa Maartman Beskow
In the Garden by Emma Giuliani
Super Summer: All Kinds of Summer Facts and Fun by Bruce Goldstone
The Flowers’ Festival also by Elsa Maartman Beskow
Eat Outside: As soon as the weather starts to warm, you'll find us eating as many meals as possible outdoors. The solstice is one more excuse to dine alfresco, though. Pack a picnic for that hike, or set up breakfast or dinner outdoors.
Say goodnight to the sun. Gather some glow-in-the-dark bracelets or sparklers, set up the fire pit and stay outside to say goodnight to the sun.
~ Bridget
P.S. Here are a few things that I've been up to:
Published: Tourist Destinations and Climate Change: How to Travel Respectfully for Teen Vogue and for These Teens, a Unique Beekeeping Program Teaches About Much More Than Honey for Modern Farmer.
Working: A piece on urban rooftop farms for Civil Eats and a climate-proofing the playground for U.S. News & World Reports.
Reading: After reading Maggie Smith's You Could Make This Place Beautiful, I'm now reading some of her other works, including Goldenrod, the perfect pick-up and put-down collection for chaotic early summer days when it's hard to concentrate on anything for long.