I don’t understand it, but July’s “Great Outdoors” theme speaks to me right now. Despite the hot, humid weather, I have a strong desire to work on my back deck. As I type this letter in the late afternoon, I’m a little more comfortable than two hours ago, when it was stifling hot and I was sticking to my chair. I walked into the house several times with the intent of working inside in the air conditioning, but ultimately I ended up back on the deck. This is partially due to a lack of windows in the right places, which results in my downstairs office being abnormally dark during the day, but I also just have a deep desire to be outside. 

A week ago, I visited my friend for four days of outdoor fun, ranging from walking to paddleboarding to yoga in the park. Next week our family is driving to the mountains for university orientation for my son, and I plan to do a lot of hiking and exploring while we’re there. And I’m toying with searching for a beach deal (knowing full well there are no beach deals this time of year).

School is out and there is so much to do and see in our area that the sheer pleasure of being out in nature—listening to the birds, getting a whiff of gardenias—outweighs the heat and humidity for me. That will likely change by August though. So we had better all get our summer getaways and activities planned now.

Wishing you a happy Fourth and a July full of fun outdoor activities,

Shannon

PS: Visit NC provides great data on visiting Western North Carolina as the area recovers from Hurricane Helene. It includes an interactive map of what’s open or still closed, the status of roads, etc. A lot is open too! VisitNC.com/Western-NC-Recovery.