Take advantage of summer
3 MIN READ
By CHERIE ANN NONONG-CALAPIS
This year, why not take advantage of the summer energy to take your planned summer activities for the kids. Let the symbols and images of the season inspire you: Have a real vacation.
ASIN SWIMMING. Locals enjoy a dip at the Asin river to refresh against the summer heat of the summer season. Photo courtesy of Redjie Melvic Cawis/PIA
Take time off from work. One month would be great, but probably not feasible for most of us. One week would do wonders… Still not possible? Even one weekend or one day free of your usual responsibilities would be terrific.
At the very least, set aside one or two hours every evening for a daily mini-vacation. Fill this time with things that bring you joy, relax you, and pamper you.
Take a break, not just from technology: the Internet, e-mail, and your cellphone.
Take an inward vacation: write a journal, read novels, make a scrapbook. Be creative and get your family to help you find some time free.
Go to the beach, come up to the city of pines
Everybody goes to the beach at least once in the summer. Try witnessing the Fluvial Parade in Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan during the annual Pista’y Dayat on May 1. Or discover the beaches of Aringay in La Union. If you have the resources, the white beaches of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte is not beyond reach. Build sand castles or simply lie idly on the warm sand.
FUN UNDER THE SUN. Horseback-riding at the strawberry farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. Photo by Lyn V. Ramo/NORDIS
If the beach is too hot for you, try a trip to the cooler mountains like Baguio City, Summer Capital of the Philippines. Try to visit Mines View Park, Baguio Botanical Garden, Tam-awan Village, The Mansion House, Wright Park, Lourdes Grotto, Camp John Hay, and the Philippine Military Academy, or the Burnham Park. Take advantage of the weather to draw renewing forces from nature.
Wake your senses with the colors, smells, textures and sounds of the ocean or forest.
Do some extra-curricular activities
Think of this: What have you always wanted to do but haven’t gotten the chance because your parents could not afford it; or you did not think you were good enough to do it; or you never had the time? Hush those self-timing voices and go learn something new.
If money is a problem, ask a friend to teach you (swap lessons on something that you do well) or buy a book, surf the web, and teach yourself.
Care for your body
Get into the spirit of the season and be more body-conscious. Try out a new exercise, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, or wake up your wardrobe with a color or style you have never tried before. Buy a bikini, if that is what will motivate you to exercise regularly and eat healthily. While you’re at it, get a short and sexy hairdo! Or allow yourself an occasional indulgence, guilt-free. After all, there is no better time for ice cream than summer.
Are you excited already? Hopefully, by the end of the summer season, caring for yourself will have been second nature to you. #
