Though the last day of summer isn’t technically until Sept. 22, for many, the end of summer — and all that comes with it — arrives the Tuesday after Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Long weekends, playing hooky for a day at the beach, backyard barbecues, late-night ice cream runs while the sun is still out: There are few things sweeter in life than summer traditions.
Though I personally enjoy those experiences, growing up in the Midwest and living in New York City and Washington, D.C., since then has also led me to associate summer with humidity and heat (not ideal for someone who sweats excessively).
My lifelong attempt to find cooler weather has led me to Chicago which, ironically, is one of the best places in the U.S. to be for the summer — a reward achieved only after surviving winter and spring, when it routinely snows through April and is cold enough to still require coats in May. Regardless of where I live, I always look forward to the best season, which is fall, in my humble opinion.