“How I Spent My Summer: The Adult Version (Now With More Guilt and Less Popsicles)”

Remember back in Grade 7 when we were asked to write those “How I Spent My Summer” reports?

If someone handed me a piece of loose-leaf right now and told me to do the same, I think I’d pause, take a deep breath, and let out a slow sigh.

Not because I didn’t have a summer…
But because I’d have to decide which version of it I’m going to write about.

• The real one? Full of unfinished to-dos, spontaneous moments, and good intentions?
• The idealized one? With hammock naps, trail hikes, and that manuscript magically finished?
• Or the in-between one? Where life was lived, but maybe not quite as fully as I imagined?

Here’s the truth:
Being an adult in summer feels like a weird contradiction.

We dream of freedom and play—like we did as kids—
But now we’re also the ones mowing lawns, answering emails, and… yes… staring at that unstained deck. (Again.)

So, Here’s My Version:

How I Spent My Summer
By Neil, Age… Well, Still a Kid at Heart

This summer, I had grand plans:

• Paint the fence
• Organize the garage
• Stain the deck

Instead, I stared at the paint cans like they were ancient relics and walked past the deck like it had betrayed me. Spoiler alert: it’s still unstained. Let’s just call it “rustic.”

And the manuscript?
Started… paused… started again.
Apparently, even creativity takes summer breaks.

But you know what?

• I rode my bike and found peace in movement.
• I shared chai with Tina and enjoyed the kind of silence that speaks volumes.
• I laughed. I reflected. I sat with God.
• And I played with new ideas… like letting Nathaniel Theos out to stir up some creative mischief.

It wasn’t the summer I planned.
But it was the summer I needed.

What About You?

If you had to write your own “How I Spent My Summer” report… what would it say?

Would it be full of checked boxes?
Or moments of stillness you didn’t know you needed?
Would it highlight what you did—or what you wish you had done?

Maybe it’s a little of all of it.

And guess what?
It’s only August.

There’s still time to…

• Sit on the deck (even if it’s weathered)
• Call that friend
• Dance barefoot in the backyard
• Pick up that paintbrush—or pen—you’ve been avoiding

Because the summer of our lives doesn’t need to be perfect.
It just needs to be lived—with heart, humour, and maybe a little sawdust in our hair.

Pass the lemonade. I’ve got a deck to ignore.