The Summer Edit: For the Homebody in Me
This summer is a strange one. The World Cup is in my backyard. Consequently, my office is closed for a month, with a mandated work remote summer. And adding countless visitors to the already congested city (y’all are welcome, though), has me hunkered down at home. So I’m treating summer 2026 as my cocoon and here is what is keeping me company.
garden views
This is my third year in a row trying to grow flowers in my backyard, starting with seeds. Despite starting, and sprouting, them inside first, my cat found delight in digging them all up in the weeks that followed.
So I caved and replanted the bed with flowers already in bloom. My husband added some tomatoes to the garden bed and our strawberries from last year returned, so we have quite the hodge-podge situation going on back there. What a delight it is to check on the plants throughout the week to see what new growth is happening there.
freaks & Geeks
This was a show I had to sneak watch when I was a teenager. I loved it then, and love it now. The characters are endearing and it is sweet to watch the early performances of actors who still light up our screens. Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, Martin Starr, Linda Cardilini, Seth Rogan… all amazing.
Another element I love is how it’s a much more realistic depiction of high school than most other shows. It touches on evergreen topics but has so much heart at the center of it. I can’t help but get hooked on the show every time I start it.
Neighborhood walks
Like most everybody else, I aim for the recommended 10,000 steps a day. As much as I love hitting the Atlanta Beltline with friends after work, this summer, I’ve been leaning into the walks a little closer to home.
What makes neighborhood walks special to me is the way it helps connect me to community. I pass others with the same idea, meet sweet doggies, or wave to neighbors relaxing on their porches. And it is a great way to break up the day at home. I can sprinkle in a walk on a lunch break or to book end my work day. All of the above bring movement and connection to an otherwise sedentary, solitary day.
Reading my own library
I can’t help but acquire at least one book every time I visit a local book store. So, I have that problem common to many readers: shelves of books to-be-read. This past December, I culled through them and pulled roughly 30 books I intended to pull from this year. This curated list features mostly classic fiction, almost all would be new reads to me. The only exceptions are Native Son by Richard Wright and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Both of which I read in high school, but feel they are prime for a revisit as an adult.
book reflections
This one is the result of many things converging. I often find that after finishing a book, I’m not quite ready to dive into the next one. A few days to process what I read helps me enjoy the journey I just completed more. I also find that through reflection or in finding podcasts that discuss the book or exchanging interpretations with a friend who has also read it, deeper meaning is illuminated.
So one thing I am starting this summer, is writing book reflections. Not a book report, but more of a journal entry. It’s just a notebook where I can put down my thoughts in the days that follow completing the story. This practice provides a small buffer between books and gives me the ritual I need to feel ready to move on when the time is right.
co-working
I am a quality time person, but I can also appreciate passive time alongside someone on the same journey. For my work-remote summer, it is nice to team up at a local cafe or co-working space with a friend or two who are fellow remote workers. We may speak little, but we’re sharing energy!
It’s also a great excuse to explore new businesses and get out of the house. Even during a homebody summer, being among people from time to time, especially when those people are also friends, is good for mental health.
puzzles
Sometimes I work on puzzles alongside my grandmother or a friend, but often, I build these alone. Using my hands and the problem-solving part of my brain mixes it up from the writing I typically do. For me, putting on peaceful music, opening the windows, and working on a puzzle is a form of therapy.
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