Endless Summer

Every year, right before Labor Day, a small sadness hangs over me.  It's the end of summer and there's nothing I can do to keep August from melting into September.  There are three acts in movies--a beginning, middle, and end.  As we all know, the third act (the end) happens when the characters race to the airport, solve the crime, fight the bad guys one last time, etc. August is that kind of bittersweet month that looms like a third act.  All of June and July leads up to it with hope and expectation.  If life were a movie, each August would fade out with the final sequence in Dirty Dancing--everyone smiling and happy because they've grown and changed over one summer in ways they never thought possible.  Sadly, not every summer will reshape our lives, but that shouldn't stop us from packing as much happiness into these final days as we can!

 

I recently visited Hilton Head, South Carolina and am already longing to go back to the ocean.  If you're headed to the beach for one last summer getaway, let me suggest the perfect accessory: a pinup style romper.  I saw this one in the window of a favorite vintage shop and it was love at first sight.  The only problem?  I was working on a project across the street and couldn't leave in time to make my purchase before the shop closed.  I finally made it back a few days later.  To my surprise, it was still there and it was all mine.  I couldn't imagine a better outfit for vacation!  A romper is dressy enough for ocean side shopping and casual enough for walking along the beach.

Romper: Vintage.   Flip Flops: Old Navy.   Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters.

If you can't make it to the beach, you should pull out your favorite flip flops, splurge on a romper, and enjoy one of my absolute favorite documentaries, Endless Summer.  If you live in the U.S., it's currently streaming  on Hulu.  The documentary is about two surfers in the 1960's who decide to chase summer around the world by swapping hemispheres as they travel.  The tone of the voice-over is a little silly and dated, but that makes it even better in my opinion.  The soundtrack by The Sandals has a great 60's surf culture vibe and it's worth listening to by itself.  Chasing summer has been one of my lifelong dreams.  I've never even touched a surfboard, but I've loved the idea of surfing since I saw the movie Gidget when I was young.  Until I find a way to follow in the footsteps of the documentary surfers, I'll have to settle for daydreaming about endless summer breezes and the way my toes feel when they're buried in the sand.

 

So tell me, would you chase summer around the world if you could?  Or are you ready for fall?