Last day of July and the summer mood is at its peak! Some just started their holiday vacation, for some it’s about to end and for the lucky few it is still going on for the next month. And of course, regardless of the holiday status one holds, they are all posting pictures of themselves in their brand new tiny bathing suits, sipping a colourful cocktail by the sea while enjoying the sun.
However, there are also those of us who cannot stand this summery weather. This heat that makes you want to take 10 showers per minute and the sun that turns your beautiful white skin into lobster shell, almost as if you just took part in ‘La Tomatina’*… Therefore, if you’re anything like me, you are probably already fantasizing about the cool September breezes and the moody atmosphere that overwhelms you (and of course, your long-sleeved blouses of different colours, which match the autumn leaves).
So, whether you’re part of the first category or the second, here is a list of things to look forward along with the beginning of autumn.
1. Black is back, along with any other dark colour you could not bear to wear due to the sun and its massive wave of heat. So, take out those cute cardigans you could not stand to even think about putting on and enjoy the clouds!
2. Cool breezes: Remember those warm days when you were longing for that fresh cold breeze to come and cool you from that unbearably high temperature and instead you got an even warmer rush of air in your face? Well, here’s your chance to finally enjoy those windy days and stand against the nature’s kind of air conditioning specially designed for you.
3. Tea or Hot Coffee: For the hot-beverage lovers summer time is very hard to keep up with their favourite drinking habits, as the heat makes it unbearable. So, even if you are not English, you can finally drink your 4 o’ clock time with a little bit more ease and enjoy it now.
4. Festivals: Maybe summer is the time when concert lovers go wild, but the end of it is always characterised by a massive wave of autumn festivals when not only music concerts are offered but also any kind of workshop one can imagine.
5. Friend reunions: Regardless of which two weeks of those three months of summer you have chosen as your vacation time, you can always count on September for everyone to be right back in their working and everyday life routine. Thus, the perfect opportunity to organise reunion parties when everyone can talk about their holidays and still enjoy a cool beer.
6. Warm sea: For those of you that love swimming the perfect time has come. Since for the sea it takes a while to get warm – and thus a respectful while to get cold again – the beginning of autumn is the period when the sea is at its warmest without the help of the sun.
7. Sales: Male or female, the end of the summer is always the time for changes in your closet. Either because your old suit has started to form small holes in the pockets or just because you need a fresh stylistic point of view, the sales period offers the best opportunity to get good quality items for a better price.
8. Palette of colours: Whether you are a fan of surrealism or of pragmatism, it is an undeniable fact that during this time of the year the leaves on the trees take the most amazing hues of different colours. Of course, one can argue that it is the flowers on the branches that give the real feeling of a painting, but let me ask you this: Would you rather be walking through Champs-Élysées in the summer when the trees are only green or enjoy a walk around a fiend foul of different browns and golds?
9. Strolls: I don’t know about you, but I always find a walk around the city after work very relaxing and energetic. Therefore, if you belong to the same category of people, the time for us to enjoy our walks has come. Leaving behind those super warm and sunny evening, offering their place to bright afternoons when one can enjoy the cool breeze while doing some small exercise at the same time.
10. Day-Night balance: Even though the day is still bigger than the night, their time length is coming to a more equal proportion time-wise. Therefore, you will be able to understand that it is 21h00 without having to check it with your watch or the still bright light from the sun blocking your eyes.
*’La Tomatina’ is the annual festival that takes place in Spain on the last Wednesday of August, during which participants throw tomatoes to each other and get involved in a tomato fight.
By Kerasia Sklavounou
Student of MA Learning & Communication in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts
University of Luxembourg
Study visitor at TermCoord