June 21st is the Solstice, although back in the Scandinavian countries we generally call it "Midsummer." Regardless, it marks the longest day of the year... or the shortest night, depending on your focus.
The terminology is all a bit confusing because here in the USA: the Solstice is generally considered the first day of summer, and elsewhere it's considered MID-summer.
Regardless, I do love this time of the year because the days are so long and it stays light till almost 10:00 p.m. here so we can be outside and still see what we're doing long after dinner time.
Western Washington is not quite as far north as my native Denmark but it's almost the same thing. I always loved this time of the year when I was a kid because we could be outside playing till very late, and because we were off school we didn't have to come inside to go to bed.
That... and the weather was generally starting to get decent enough that we could actually enjoy those long days!
I think that, as we age, we have a tendency to feel increasingly drawn to the kinds of surroundings we grew up with. I don't necessarily mean we have to return to the exact place, but there is an undefined comfort in being in what feels like "somewhat familiar" surroundings.
When I originally moved to the Pacific Northwest, one of the things I was often saying to my relatives back in Denmark was that "it is very much like Denmark, except with a better view."
"Boomeranging" is an actual thing. I learned that some years back... mostly in the context of younger people just so eager to get away from their home towns as soon as they reached adulthood... and then finding themselves drawn back to where they grew up, perhaps in their 30s, perhaps when their kids leave home.
I've noticed that we have a fair number of people in our little coastal town who moved away right after school... and who are now returning "home," in their 30's, 40's, 50"s and beyond.
I suppose it could be a case of "the grass is always greener," but I also know it's a common pattern of the young to categorically reject what they grew up with, simply on principle.
I did that... in some ways.
Regardless, I feel quite grateful to be where I currently live... it has a "familiarity" to it that I never felt when living in the South, nor in the desert Southwest.
It is now about 9:30, as I put the finishing touches on this post... and after I hit "Publish," I will probably go sit outside for a while and enjoy the stillness of this Summer Solstice evening. And be grateful for the fact that — unlike Denmark — we have essentially no mosquitoes because we are really close to the beach and salty mists.
And now we start into what I consider the "back half" of the year. The front half wasn't much to write home about... but I try to stay focused on what I feel grateful about: Being Alive.
Happy Solstice to you, wherever you may be. And if that happens to be the Southern Hemisphere... the days are getting longer, now!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Sunday!
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