Bonjour,

The run-up to summer is always such a strange time. On one hand you've got sunnier days and warmer weather, summer collections coming out and advertisements telling you get ready for the beach weather - but on the other hand you're still stuck in school or college or work, gazing longingly out the window and wishing you could properly enjoy the spring-to-summer transition.

Or maybe that's just me. All I know is that June is perhaps my least favourite month of the year, as it brings with it some of the warmest weather Belgium can produce (which isn't saying a whole lot but it's all relative) along with exams, which means I have to stay cooped up in my room trawling through pages of notes and trying to memorise things like the dates and details of all the European Treaties since 1957. I realise that if I did in fact have a lot more time to enjoy the summery weather, I probably wouldn't be one of those intrepid nature-loving instagram fitness fanatics, but you never know, I might really push the boat out by reading a book outside or persuading my friends to go for a picnic.

What's slightly ironic is that I don't spend the entire winter longing for summer like some people, I'm generally perfectly happy to endure the windy, rainy, snowy days without so much of a thought of hot days at the beach. But the grass is always greener, and I suppose it's a lot more green when it's right outside your bedroom window, and not just contained in those holiday snaps from last year which are lurking in the depths of your pictures folder.

I wasn't entirely sure where I was going with this post when I started writing, but never mind because I think I've conveyed my confusion. Just for the slightly ironic lolz, here's a summer tag I found on the interwebs:

1. Your dream summer vacation.

To me this means two things: either a holiday that takes place during the summer period, or a holiday of the beach-pool-and-restaurants kind. The latter isn't my idea of a dream holiday, but if that's the question then I think I'd like to go to some Greek island in the middle of the Mediterranean with my best friends oh whoops that's exactly what we're doing this summer! Otherwise, I'd love to go back to Iceland (yes one day I will stop raving about Iceland on my blog but that day is not today) as I assume the cold would be less of a potential worry and it would be easier to see travel around.

2. Favourite summer drink.

I really like the Arizona tea & peach thing, I'm not quite sure what the name of it is but the can is really pretty (not why I first bought it at all...).

3. S’mores or ice cream?

Ice cream. I love really disgustingly artificial flavours like parma violet, marshmallow or smurf.

4. Pool or Beach?

Pool all the way. I kind of hate sunbathing, so I much prefer to just get in, swim for a while, get out and head back inside for food and TV than lie around in the blazing sun for hours on the beach.

5. Would you rather spend a summer day outside in the pool or inside watching Netflix?

I think I probably just answered this, but I'd prefer to just sit on the internet all day than watch stuff.

6. Your most fun summer memory?

Lazing around with my best friends, going on walks to the shops for supplies (read: chocolate) and dressing up for dinner.

7. Favourite summer nail polish?

I don't really change up my nail polish colours for summer, so probably just my usual silver or gold. I might really go wild and add glitter.

8. Sunglasses or hats?

Sunglasses. Heart-shaped, if possible.

9. Favourite summer scent?

Perfume-wise I tend to gravitate towards a really fruity scent I got ages ago from Marks & Spencer, I believe it's called Butterfly. Smell-wise I really love that earthy green smell of the water evaporating from the leaves and the ground being slowly baked. What was that I saying about being an indoor person?

10. Favourite BBQ food?

As a (mostly) vegetarian, I don't tend to do BBQs but I'll happily eat roasted veg skewers and corn on the cob.

11. Bikinis, tankinis, or one pieces?

Bikinis.

12. Summertime book recommendations

You're asking the right person - check out this post from last year with my top 5 recommendations! I'd also like to add The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, Summers of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares and Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl.

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