Jessie Spangler

July fourth has come and gone, and the heat and sun have returned to Chicago. Cue me sweating through my shirt on the way to work this morning.

It’s not often you have a random Tuesday off, and we certainly made the most of it. My fiancé, a group of friends, and I played volleyball, soaked up the sun (too much sun for these city dwellers, if we’re being honest), and just enjoyed the beautiful summer day.

Montrose Beach is currently my favorite place to go for a beach day. It’s usually less crowded on a regular weekend, with a large parking lot, and The Dock, the beachside restaurant that’s perfect for stopping by before heading home. They usually have a live band playing on the weekends, which really just adds to the ambience.

Although the holiday made it way too busy to even consider going to the Dock, we had a good spot to ourselves next to our volleyball court. We stayed for hours, until we all had too much sun and sand and it was time to go home and shower.

I love days like these, days where you’re joyfully worn out at the end, tired and a little grimy but satisfied. To me, it’s the truest sense of seizing the day. I think it’s why I like hiking so much–you feel like a true part of nature, of the larger world beyond, your body in tune with your surroundings. You’ve spent the day with friends, doing all you can to take advantage of this day. Your shower and dinner have been earned.

Especially in the summertime, which feels so fleeting in Chicago. Like every moment must be seized and savored, every weekend celebrated outside, every balmy summer night breathed in deep.

Dinner was ordered from Small Cheval, my favorite place to order a veggie burger (and maybe my favorite fries, too). As the sun set, fireworks glittered in the distance, in every direction. Something about fireworks always makes me feel nostalgic for the fourth of Julys of my childhood, of neighborhood parties and walking to the park with my parents and sister, glow sticks and fruit punch. The holiday was always a sign of being safely nestled in the middle of summer, school still far away and the days long. Back when I had plenty of time to come up with stories and read outside.

Sometimes days off from work still feel like that.

Until next time,

J