August. It's that strange time of year when kids go back to school, even though it still feels hotter than hell, delicious fresh produce abounds, and it's the month when I start to panic about summer slipping away. 

I am a warm weather girl. I love long, hot days by the pool, taking walks along streets lined with towering full trees, early mornings and late evenings, seeing colorful flowers thriving, and farmers markets overflowing. It's usually around this time of year that I start to notice that the mornings are just a little bit cooler, the crickets seem to start chirping just a bit earlier in the evenings. The days, which are still plenty long, start to feel just the teensiest bit shorter. Each day as the sun sets, it takes just a little more summer with it. 

Every year when August rolls around, I start to panic about whether or not I've truly made the most of these long summer days. Have I spent enough evenings enjoying the company of friends? Have I spent enough hours soaking up vitamin D by the pool? Have I lingered on enough patios? I know there's still some time left, but I know that soon it will be too brisk for the patio, too dark for an evening stroll. I want to make the most of what's left of the summer.  

I don't particularly like fall. I know this is an unpopular opinion, particularly for a basic white girl such as myself. I get terrible Seasonal Affect Disorder, and the prospect of shorter days and cooler weather cannot excite me for all the pumpkin spice lattes and sweaters in the world. But whether I like it or not, fall is coming. This year I'm going to try to plan some things to look forward to during those shorter fall days, but I'm focusing on something else too - taking back August. 

Instead of letting panic color my days, I'm going to fill my days with all the summertime things I love. I'll take the dog for an extra walk to soak up some sun, meet a friend for a drink on my favorite patio, go get an ice cream cone, and take my lunch break at the pool. Each morning when I wake up, instead of thinking about how few days I have until fall takes hold, I'll go outside and breathe in what's left of summer. I don't want to be so focused on the coming fall months that I forget that all those things I love so much about summer can still be enjoyed.  I'm going to remind myself to be in the present moment, and in doing so, stretch summer out just a little longer.