Ever since I moved to Hilton Head Island on July 2, 1992, I’ve strongly disliked the summers here. As a former upstate New York resident, I found the heat and humidity absolutely unbearable. It wasn’t culture shock I experienced in the South; it was climate shock.
Actual photographic evidence of me enjoying an outdoor activity last summer at Roy & Becky Prescott’s Annual Happy Birthday America Extravaganza. Jevon was also having a great time but sometimes his face forgets to smile.
Lately, it occurs to me that as I approach the “July” of my life (presuming I’ll live to be 95, based on the fact that I have two grandmothers still living at over 90), that I need to stop wishing away four months of my life.
So, this year, I vow to celebrate the things I love about summer in the Lowcountry and build upon this list as the next four months progress.
1. I love that the sun is up by 6 a.m. in June. As an early riser, I enjoy those few extra hours in the morning to get in a workout, plan for the day, and cuddle my canine friends.
2. This may seem a strange one, but on those warm evenings that I’m leaving Sea Pines around 7 or 8 p.m., I’ve always loved the smell of the restaurants at Park Plaza and the Triangle as I drive by with the windows down. It’s a cacophony of aromas beckoning to hungry patrons.
3. The energy is just different in the summer – the island is alive with the sounds of strumming guitars and laughing voices as the vacation hubs of Shelter Cove, Coligny Plaza, and Harbour Town come to life. It makes me feel like I’m on vacation, so even though I’m not, I revel in the feeling of excited vacationers, pumped for their upcoming adventures.
4. People-watching is more fun in the summer. I like heading to the beach with a frosty beverage (non-alcoholic, obviously) to observe. Kids playing with their dads in the surf, teenage girls trying to get that perfect social media shot, and boys tossing the football back and forth – it all plays out like a film I’ve seen before, with the characters changing ever so slightly from year to year.
I hope you enjoy this, the first of our summer issues. We cover a bunch of summery things, including sea turtles, surf guys, and sea shacks.
Send me your list of things you love about summer in the Lowcountry and we’ll print them in the July issue. Email your list to maggie@ch2cb2magazine.com or shoot me a message on social.
Fare thee well,
Maggie Washo, Editor-in-Chief
