How to Rescue Summer If It Feels Like It’s Been Canceled

How are you feeling about this summer? Are you disappointed because you won’t be going on that eagerly anticipated trip? Have some of your favorite activities been canceled?

I am someone who looks forward to the summer. Whenever I can, I take a summer vacation away from home. Not this year. I look forward to summer events like CONvergence and the Minnesota State Fair, but they’ve been canceled. This year, I won’t be experiencing many of the things that make summer special for me.

I won’t pretend that anything can make up for the things we are missing this summer. But we can still have fun — albeit, not the fun we’d planned — if we’re willing to be flexible. Here’s how:

Carpe Aestas (Seize the Summer)

Don’t let a day pass without indulging in some sort of summer fun.

• Create a summer playlist and listen to it as often as you feel like it. You can certainly include summer-specific songs like Banarama’s “Cruel Summer,” but don’t stop there. If there are songs that spark summer memories for you, even if they have nothing to do with the season, throw those in, too.
• Eat summertime foods. What do you associate with summer? Fresh fruit? Hot dogs and potato salad? Iced tea? Make a list and make a point of having at least one summertime food every week.
• Go outside as often as possible. This is good for you any time of year, but if you live someplace with brutal winters, it’s a crime not to enjoy the outdoors during the summer.
• Make a list of achievable summer activities. You may not be able to go on a vacation or attend the state fair this year, but what about walking through a regional park, eating breakfast outside, blowing bubbles, or streaming a blockbuster from a previous summer?
• If you have any outdoor space at all — even just a balcony — consider buying something that will help you enjoy it more: a patio chair, a croquet set, a container of flowers, whatever will encourage you to get outside.

Fake a vacation to your favorite spot.

I know — nothing can make up for immersing yourself in a new place. But if nothing else, a fake vacation allows you to take time out from the real world and indulge in some creative play.

• You can order food from far away through a service like Goldbelly. Whether you have fond memories of eating lobster rolls in Maine or you’ve always wanted to try something from Betty’s Pies in Minnesota, you may be able to get it shipped to you. It’s not a cheap treat, but it’s less than a vacation away from home.
• A less expensive route? Pull out some recipes and make food from a place you want to visit. For example, I recently recreated a particular Satu’li bowl combination from Disney’s Animal Kingdom by using the kale salad from this recipe, the fish from this recipe, and the chimichurri sauce from this recipe.
• Speaking of Disney, you can relive your favorite attractions by watching a video, such as this Big Thunder Mountain video and this recording of the Once Upon a Time show, or by trying to recreate a ride yourself. One woman’s recreations of rides like the Tower of Terror inspired others to tackle their favorite attractions. Some of my favorites are this Disney employee’s recreation of the Kilimanjaro Safari and this family’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Another Disney resource is DParkRadio, which plays the same sort of music you’d hear piped into the parks.
• Beyond Disney, there are all sorts of ways you can use videos, music, and books to vicariously experience a place. Visit Louisiana through the music of Buckwheat Zydeco. Experience New Mexico by reading Bless Me, Ultima. Travel to South Korea when you watch Parasite.
• Of course, the Internet makes it easier than ever to “travel” from home. Many museums offer virtual tours. Airbnb Experiences have moved to an online format. And there are several animal cams that will allow you to see everything from wildlife to puppies and kittens!

Heck, fake an impossible vacation.

If your vacation this year is going to be a fake one, why not go all out and plan a trip to a past time or fantastical place? Take a vacation in Middle Earth or go back in time to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s DeSmet, South Dakota. Make seed cakes or corn dodgers. Make a hobbit hole terrarium or a braided rug. Pick a place or time you’ll never be able to visit, and make a list of ways you can vacation there this summer.

What are you missing? Weave that into your life.

When you go on vacation or indulge in a summer-only activity, what are you looking for?

Sometimes it’s something specific. If you go to the Minnesota State Fair every year, you may have foods, exhibits, or rides you seek out every time. Not all of these can be reproduced at home, but in many cases, you can capture at least some of what you love and miss. If Sweet Martha’s cookies are a must-have, you can purchase the frozen cookie dough at some Minnesota grocery stores. If you always have to see the seed art, you can look at images online, or start collecting seeds and creating your own art.

You also may be looking for something more general, such as relaxation, exposure to new things, or family fun. These things are still attainable this summer… though not necessarily in the way you had envisioned. Carve out lots of downtime in your schedule. Try new recipes or hobbies. Start a family game night. Figure out how you can meet your needs on your budget right where you are.

There’s no doubt that many of us will miss our usual summer fun this year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the season. We just need to put some thought and creativity into it. Who knows? In years to come, we may cherish our memories of the summer we spent at home.