13 ways to savor the season

Editor's note: This essay first appeared in Cog's weekly newsletter. What would you add to this list of summer must-dos? Write to us at opinion@wbur.org and we may feature your ideas in a future round up.

One of the things I love about living in Massachusetts is the change of seasons. We didn’t have such things in my native San Francisco — I didn’t pick apples, or see the leaves turn from green to bright yellow and red, or wake to a street covered in a fresh blanket of white snow. I never knew the joy of the first really warm day, when people bare their arms and can’t help but be in a good mood.

My husband says the four seasons in Boston are fall, winter, fool’s spring and summer. I’ve lived here long enough to know he’s not wrong.

So, to properly savor our region’s sweet few temperate months, I created a summer checklist that I endeavor to make my way through once summer begins. It’s my guide to a good summer, but also a guide for living through uncertainty. I first came up with the list sometime during the pandemic, when without the rituals and gatherings that punctuate the passage of time, the months blended into a sort of sludge. These days, when the news feels like a barrage of inchoate dread, it’s become a way I can lean into the idea, credited to poet Toi Terricot, that “joy is an act of resistance.” Soaking up the season is my way of actively living.

Here goes.

1. Swimming. This is number one for me. A less rigorous list might simply move to the next item. But swimming is important enough that it deserves subcategories.

a. Swim in salt water. Bay or ocean. Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester is stunning and if you come after 5 p.m. you can park without resident stickers.

b. Swim in freshwater. Any lake, river or pond will do. The kettle ponds on the outer Cape are particularly sublime, but many are devoted to early morning swims at Walden Pond in Concord.

c. Swim in chlorinated water. This goes without saying but it must be an outdoor pool. I love community pools. (We also have an annual Water Wizz tradition, ideally with a screening of the “Way, Way Back”, the indie 2013 coming of age that was filmed there.)

2. Eat an ice cream cone. The cone is key here. You can slurp down a cup of ice cream any old day in the comfort of home. I want to eat ice cream, freshly scooped onto a cone, by a STRANGER. While I’m open to trying new flavors, I generally stick to mint chip. So long as it’s not dyed bright green, and served on a cake cone, mint chip rarely disappoints.

3. Walk barefoot in grass. I won’t add “walk barefoot on sand” because you’ll have done that with your swimming in salt or freshwater. But after months of your toes being stuffed into socks and boots there’s something particularly delicious about letting those toes squish the soft grass. I like to take my shoes off in my own backyard.

4. Take a boat ride. I’m not assuming you have your own boat or even access to a friend’s boat. But ride a ferry, any ferry. The T connects to quick ferries to the Boston Harbor Islands. And there’s also a ferry that runs from the ICA to the ICA shed in East Boston. Alternatively, Paddle Boston rents canoes and kayaks you can use to explore the Mystic or Charles. Crossing water is something everyone should enjoy at some point in their New England summer.

5. Eat food that’s been cooked outside. Of course it’s nice if you have your own grill or have a friend with a grill, but even going to a shack that serves grilled food is worth a visit. There’s something especially summer-y about food that’s been cooked to perfection over a charcoal or gas grill. While my husband hungers for brats, I like skewered chunks of peppers, onion and zucchini slathered in olive oil and herbs. Whatever’s in season. (See point 13.)

6. Ride your bike as much as possible. There’s nothing like that feeling of the wind on your face and the scenery made possible when you’re biking. And now that Boston has expanded buffered bike lanes, it's safer than ever. The Minuteman Trail can take you to an ice coffee at the Kickstand Cafe in Arlington or a date night in Lexington. I also like biking the Somerville Community Path into Davis Square.

7. See a summer movie in the theater. Can you think of a better way to cool off for a couple of hours on a 90+ degree day? I can’t stress enough how important it is to see movies in the theater around people you don’t know. Only in such a space can you be truly immersed in a director’s vision, without any of the silly distractions of home. No dog wanting to play. No friend or family asking to pause for a bathroom break or to rewind because they missed a line. I’m eying the new “Superman,” coming out in July, and “Sorry, Baby,” by filmmaker Barry Jenkins of “Moonlight" fame. I’m also keen on themed programming like “Summer Camp” at the Somerville Theater or “Cult Classics” at the Coolidge.

8. Take a nature walk. I like to do this at one of Massachusetts Audubon’s incredible sanctuaries, though any park or cemetery will do. And make a point of doing this without your massive over-the-ear headphones. Save your playlists for later. This is the time to listen. There’s birdsong and the wind rustling through the leaves, and the sounds of your fellow walkers. I enjoy meeting the dogs at Fresh Pond, including a pair of neighborhood pugs, Funny Bone and Inkspot, (Inky for short).

9. Eat fresh seafood. I’m partial to briny oysters with horseradish and cocktail sauce. But I have a friend (hello, Mr. Adam Ferrari) who pulls clams from the beaches of Wellfleet and works pure magic with garlic, minced parsley and a splash of white wine. Then there’s the lobster roll. They’re way too pricey to eat often and maybe that’s what makes them so special. I’m a fan of warm buttered lobster on a toasted bun, but others prefer cold lobster and mayo.

10. See music or theater outside. New England is full of outdoor concerts and cultural goodies, like Shakespeare in the Common. This summer you can see “As You Like It” — for free! But taking in outdoor culture can be as easy as stopping to appreciate one of the many buskers that play in Harvard or Davis Square. But don’t just hurry by. Stop and listen. We are lucky to live in a place where so many talented musicians live. You may even be watching the next Tracy Chapman.

11. Read a book that takes place in the summer. “The Great Gatsby” is my favorite — it's quick, perfect for a weekend trip, and the prose is so fine, the plot so well constructed, that it always offers me something to relish. Another option: Marguerite Duras’ “The Lover,” the coming-of-age autobiographical novel published in 1984, that’s a part of A Public Space’s book club, led this June by Honor Moore.

12. Go to a yard sale. If the weather’s good, more likely than not someone is hosting a yard sale. I’m at the stage of life where I’m more eager to get rid of stuff than acquire anything new, but I like the opportunity to peek into others’ lives. Poking around someone’s sale you’ll likely encounter items that come with stories. What a great way to get to know people in your community.

 13.  Eat local summer fruits and vegetables. There’s no comparing the taste of the mealy Holland tomatoes, found year round at Star Market, to the heirlooms displayed at the farmer stand come August. Some may think them very ugly — what the Italians call molto brutto — but they’re so fat and so good, all you need is a knife and a shake of salt to make a satisfying meal. And for dessert? Sweet “sink peaches,” so-called because I can only eat them standing over the sink, juice running down my chin.

As I enjoy any item on this list, I like to repeat This is summer. This is summer. (Not aloud. I don’t want to scare people.)

In this way I hope to bank sunshine and other sensory memories that I can return to later, like a ridged seashell found in the pocket of a sweatshirt. And maybe these neural imprints can help carry me through the short days and long months of winter, as well as the hard days in between.

Follow Cog on Facebook and Instagram. And sign up for our newsletter, sent on Sundays. We share stories that remind you we're all part of something bigger.