How to Make the Most of the Last of Your Summer

And just like that, summer’s over…but not quite. August may have ended, but the summer season has yet to wither away and turn into the milder autumn and winter months.

Even I’m surprised to say that over here in England recently we’ve been experiencing some spells of blistering heat, which has really left me reminiscing and rather nostalgic of the experiences I’ve had this summer. However, it’s just your luck that this has sparked my inspiration for this week’s article – leaving me with a desire to form as many memories as I can in the remainder of the summer season before the bleaker, colder months finally catch up with us.

So, I compel you to make the most of the summer we have left. Come rain or shine, there are plenty of things you can do to make the most of it, nothing extravagant, but guaranteed to leave you with memories to pull you through the winter months and leave you yearning to bask in the heat, jump on a flight, and do all of it again next summer. So here’s how to make the most of the last of your summer – and hurry, autumn is just around the corner!

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Go camping

The perfect season to go camping in, make the most of the last of your summer by reconnecting with nature. There’s something about the simplicity of camping, snuggling up in your sleeping bag in your tent at night, huddling around a fire, roasting marshmallows and swimming in the river near where you’re camped. Doing all of this in winter definitely doesn’t sound quite as appealing, now does it? Time’s ticking – pack your backpack, grab your tent and fire up that camping stove.

Climb a mountain

Is there truly a better feeling than reaching the peak of a mountain after that mentally and physically enduring uphill climb? I think not. Is there anything worse than enduring this uphill climb in the wet, cold and windy weather of winter? Again, I think not. The rewarding sensation you get from your difficult trek to the peak is all the more rewarding when you can take in the breath-taking views without having to worry about the unpredictable and equally underwhelming weather holding you back from basking in the glory of your achievement.

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Make a scrapbook

Summer’s all about making memories. I feel like some of our most amazing and memorable experiences happen in summer, but we’re so obsessed with documenting it all on our phones, uploading it to social media and making sure we’re adding the relevant hashtags to our posts. Does scrolling through our past selfies and photos really feel the same as having tangible, real pictures, notes and miscellaneous rubbish that we deem to have sentimental value? This can be compiled into one, precious, hold all, you guessed it – scrapbook.

Scrapbooking is timeless. There’s nothing like flipping through the pages and reliving the experiences and memories from your former years and feeling the warmth of nostalgia wash over you.

Watch a sunrise

Nothing hits quite like a sunrise, right? Go on then, prove me wrong! Is there anything more sensational than seeing the day awaken at the earliest possible hour, the birds singing, the sky bleeding every shade of red, yellow and orange your mind could possibly imagine. It’s so extravagant, but still somehow looks so effortless at the same time. I have to backtrack on what I said before however, there’s nothing like a sunrise… in summer. Trust me.

Go foraging

I love, love, love being the early bird for foraging autumnal berries. It was only last week on my way to work that I spied some ripe, juicy blackberries calling out my name – and my goodness were they appealing! So much so that I convinced my boyfriend to go on a scenic walk in our local countryside, tupperware in tow, ready to de-berry every blackberry bush that stood in our way. 2kg later, and half a blackberry cake consumed, you could say that the multiple nettle stings and sunburn was actually worth it.

Find yourself something to forage, whether it be fruit, vegetables, herbs or more, there’s an abundance of God given goodies that you can feast your eyes (and mouth) on, and if you hurry along, well, the phrase ‘the early bird catches the worm’ says it all doesn’t it?

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Outdoor activities

I’m a fairly adventurous sort. I regularly go bouldering when I have the time, I’ve been skydiving, kayaking and I tried my hand at paddleboarding for the first time in the south of England this summer. Once I got to grips with coordinating the paddling whilst also trying to maintain my balance (which is hard enough on land for me!) it was like a second nature.

We paddled around the coast, encountered many compass jellyfish (completely harmless) and passed many fellow paddleboarders and kayakers. Whether you’ve discovered a new found love for anything in the outdoors this summer, or whether you’re still looking to try your hand at something new, summer is far from over and is far more accommodating for these types of activities. Take that adventurous personality and take your opportunities as they come.

Go geocaching

Chances are you may not have heard of this one. Imagine an adult treasure hunt – need I say more, now that I’ve appealed to your inner child? You can download a geocaching app to find geocaches, using GPS and any clues provided to locate them. Traditionally, they contain a logbook which the seeker can sign before returning the geocache to its original location, but most geocaches contain random assortments of objects and trinkets. It’s an intriguing and unique activity that will keep you wanting to seek more, joining a global community of geocachers.

One of the most popular geocaching sites you can start your geocaching adventure on is Geocachers.

Go on a picnic

There’s something so wholesome about having a picnic. The chequered blanket, the sunlight trickling through the trees, that great read you’ve been wanting to tackle for a while now but haven’t quite had the time. However, we can only make the most of picnics before the winter months draw in and picnics are but a fond memory. In my opinion, picnics towards the end of summer are a perfect balance – the cool breeze balanced by the warm rays of the sun, perfect for a comfortable picnic spot where you can laze the day away and truly enjoy the remains of what summer we have left.

We’d love to hear how you’ll be spending the remainder of this years’ summer in the comments below, but in the meantime, time waits for no one, and this summer won’t last forever!