Summer!

While it's true that I love snow and Christmas and skiing in the winter, flowers in the spring, and hoodies and colorful trees in the fall, I live for summer. I always have. Summer means long days of sunshine and freedom. It means swimming and campfires and barbecues and snow cones and flash mobs (OK, flash mobs are new this year, but they are rather fun). It means T-shirts and shorts and sandals and sunglasses. It means running away on vacation, even if you only get away for a weekend—or just a hike in the mountains.

It means throwing a blanket out on the grass and—depending on the day—reading or eating or playing card games that involve whacking yourself on the head while waiting for fireworks to start (the bare feet are not optional).

And it means one of the best holidays of the year. Happy Fourth of July!