There’s no time of year I love more than summer. Especially the early days in May and June. There’s a huge sense of hope, relief and freedom that I associate with this time of year. I think that it goes back to my school days, when the arrival of summer meant an end to all the duties and expectations and time for me to enjoy and explore the things that actually made me happy.

Moving to Denmark has added a new layer to summer for me…

I find Danish winter incredibly hard to go through. It’s one of the main reasons I’ve considered moving away. It is dark, wet, cold, windy, boring and it lasts all the way into May sometimes. It doesn’t help that I find temperatures below 15 degrees uncomfortable, to put it mildly. Of course it is all relative, I am aware that there are places with much more unpleasant winters and there are people who actually love winter, but it’s not for me.

So I’ve come to appreciate summer even more than before. Danish summer is quite different from what my definition of summer was back home: hot, dry, predictable and about as long as winter. But I have now (somewhat) made my peace with it and have come to appreciate and enjoy it for what it is. Well, I’m not saying I won’t complain when it rains for weeks and the temperature never reaches 20 degrees, but I’m working on seeing the positives.

One thing that I absolutely adore about Danish summer are the incredibly long days. The sun rises around 4 in the morning and sets around 10 in the evening. Even after it sets the sky remains illuminated on the horizon and there’s something magical about that. What could be better than more time to enjoy all the summer delights!

I love getting up before sunrise and taking a walk in the misty fields. As a night owl, I sometimes don’t even need to wake up as I’m already awake. I don’t do this every day, but I try to do it at least once a month. It’s become one of my favourite experiences that I always look forward to. I always try to go when the conditions are most favourable for mist, because these are my favourite mornings! No two sunrises are ever the same however, even in similar conditions and that’s so wonderful!

I love exploring nature and being outside in summer, especially in the mountain. Unfortunately Denmark doesn’t have any mountains. Well, I have come with a little mental workaround for that! While taking daily walks in the fields of Amager Nature Park I’ve realised that many of the plants I come across here I know from the mountains back home. I suppose that’s because the climate up north is similar to the way the weather changes with elevation. So now I can, with a little suspension of disbelief, trick my mind into imagining I’m taking a walk in an Alpine meadow. Even better, I get to enjoy a piece of mountain-like nature without all the climbing. I’ve also been able to find my favourite wild berries: strawberries and raspberries, during my walks here and that helps a lot.

I adore being able to sketch plants outside and summer time is amazing for that. However it can be quite challenging as well with bugs, strong wind and harsh sun, but the experience wouldn’t be the same without those, I suppose. I like to walk or bike every day or as often as possible and I always try to discover new places and explore new trails. I’ve often wished I lived in the countryside with much more peace and quiet and places to roam and maybe one day I will, but until then, I’m going to make use of what I already have as much as possible.

Once Midsummer passes, I always start feeling a bit of anxiety creeping in as I watch the fields get drier and plants start showing faint hints of autumn. I love autumn almost as much as summer, but the thought of the winter that follows terrifies me. I’m never ready for it. So I remind myself that all I can do is to go on even more walks, take more pictures and sketch more plants, so I can look back at them when the days get colder and have something to remind me that summer and hope will be back.

What are your thoughts on summer? And what about Danish summer (if you are familiar with it)? Please, share with me in the comments.