self-portrait sunday, goodbye summer

project 52, week 21
happy labor day.
I'm always sad when labor day rolls around, because it means the end of summer, and I love summer with a fiercely irrational passion.
It's not just because of the hot weather, although I love that. I've grown up here on the Eastern Shore, so the humidity and mugginess pressing down on you just feel natural to me, somehow. When I moved to Ohio I was alarmed by how dry the air is during the winter, and I couldn't get used to static-y hair.
It's not just because of the beach, although I love that to. Despite years when I didn't go to the beach because I was embarrassed to be seen in public wearing a swimsuit covered by knee-length shorts and a tshirt (yes, that's how we swam), and subsequent years when I was just ashamed of the way I looked, period, I've always loved the beach. The sound of the waves makes me relax, and the salt air makes my skin happy.
No, the main reason I love summer is because of the nights. For some reason, I've no idea why, sitting outside on a summer night, watching the lightening bugs begin to wink, enjoying the relief from the heat of the day, well, right then I feel like infinite possibilities await me. The world lies before me, and if I want to reach the moon all I have to is work reallyreally hard.
When cold weather comes I begin to fold in on myself, wanting to hibernate, wanting to sleep away the long nights and short days. In winter, I dream only of seeing summer again.