If I had to put July into the senses, it would be the following:

Sight: Sunshine

Smell: That Summer Thunderstorms smell

Taste: Watermelon

Touch: Beach towel

Hear: Fireworks

To me, the joy of this month is especially found in taking time to relax and just be in the moment of summertime!

Here are 10 joyful things about July, see if any resonate with you!

#1: Festivities

Here in the USA, July kicks off the festivities of the July fourth. From parades to cookouts to lots of red, white and blue… early July is such a fun time to sport summer festiveness.

Take some time to decorate, celebrate with your friends and family, and bask in this height of summer holiday.

One of my favorite things to close the Fourth of July is to gather everyone and make our way inside to watch “A Capitol Fourth” where we get to celebrate America’s birthday in the capital of our country.

#2: Watermelon Season

A health book I am working through had such an excellent point. The author said, how many melons—like watermelon—do we eat in a single year? A lot would likely say they just have a few slices during the entire calendar year! Compare that to how many bananas or apples you eat a year!

Have you ever stepped back and realized how refreshing and wonderful watermelons are!

Given their growing season, I associate eating watermelon with the summertime of July! And honestly, nothing can compare to a watermelon in its height of growing season…. the taste is something else!

#3: Summertime Hikes and Camping

I love taking a hike year-round, however summer is the season where hikes really can come alive.

The vegetation is in full bloom, making for some spectacular sights and sounds (like the wind blowing through the leaves- I wrote about that as one of the joyful things about May!).

Camping also makes it name known when summertime rolls around.

While my family never went formal camping together, we did have several camping nights in our own backyard growing up, and those memories still stick with me to this day!

There is something extra special about getting to sleep under the stars and having a bonfire that makes you realize how nice it is to sometimes bask in nature and break up your ordinary routine.

Bring back the memories and grab some family and/or friends and plan a camping trip this summer! Whether it is in your own backyard or in some cool camping spot, enjoy the solitude that nature gives us!

If you want to partake in some hiking this season, here’s a list of the best hikes in all 50 states of the United States: The Best Hike in Every U.S. State.

#4: That Vacation Feeling

July seems to be like a month of eternal vacation doesn’t it?

People are either taking their summer vacations or there simply just is vacation in the air. July feels like one month of vacation-mode.

Writing this, I am reminded of one of my favorite TV show’s episodes growing up- the Rugrats‘ “Vacation” episode.The song that plays at the beginning is “Vacation” by The Go-Go’s, and my brother can attest that I would sing that song all the time and dance to it!

If you aren’t familiar with the show, Rugrats, the babies of the family are the main characters and they have crazy adventures.

In this episode, their families are taking a vacation.

The babies are talking to each other and wondering what “vacation” is. Angelica, the oldest and a toddler, tells the babies that, “a vacation is when you get to do exactly what you want, all the time.”

July certainly has that vibe to it, doesn’t it!

The long days make bedtime seem like it can be whenever you want, the days seem to blend together a bit (I feel like I never know the date in the summertime!), and many are taking their actual vacations!

Even if you aren’t taking a vacation this month, it is certainly a fun month to enjoy the more laid-back pace of life, the feeling of getting to be outside so much, and the feeling of joy that endless summer July brings!

Some Ideas:

• Take a walk/hike/get outside when the sun rises! Get out in nature!
• Stay out late: enjoy the long days of summer!
• Go on vacation:The Best Destinations to Travel to in July
• Take a weekend trip: Top Summer Weekend Getaways in the USA
• Plan a stay-cation: How to Plan the Perfect Staycation
• Listen to “Vacation” by The Go-Go’s-it’s a pretty great song, childhood Claire would agree!

#5: Summertime Hygge

A few years back this word was all the rage, however (as many trends do), it kind of fell by the wayside since.

According to Dictionary.com, hygge is, “[T]he feeling of coziness and contentment evoked by simple comforts[.]”

When one thinks of hygge, they probably don’t think of summertime. It’s normally associated with wintertime given that the term is generally connected to the Danes and their chilly wintertimes!

However, Meik Wiking, author of the book, The Little Book of Hygge, writes hygge can be—and is—felt all year-round, including the summer!

He says,

“Summer doesn’t mean you have to turn down the hygge. It is just a different kind of hygge from that of autumn or winter. It involves making use of the sun and the warmth and nature […]” -Meik Wiking

Some Inspiration:

• Get outside!
• Have a bonfire with family, friends, or solo!
• Gaze up at the stars
• Pick some flowers: keep them or give them to someone!
• Go for a summer drive with the windows down and your favorite music playing
• Enjoy some time out in nature—whether that is through sitting outside, going to the park, gardening, hiking, etc.
• Take some time to enjoy being by the water this summer (like watching the boats go by!)
• Read this post for some ideas: How to Hygge in Summer: 15 Wholesome Activities to Do This Summer

#6: The Fresh Produce

One thing that is such a joy in July is the fresh produce! Tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and lettuce are just a few of my favorite fresh produce items that I associate with summer!

After planting back in the spring, it is such a delight to be able to finally see the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor—pun intended!

Even if you aren’t growing produce, there is a certain fun about getting to shop at a farmer’s market or farm stand for fresh vegetables and fruits, transporting them home and eating them!

When you take the time to pause and get excited when you see a farm/produce stand, you really feel that inner joy that summertime brings!

#7: The “Dog Days”

“The Dog Days of Summer” usually don’t have a positive connotation associated with them, do they?

Interestingly, the “Dogs Days” became such because back in the Ancient Greek’s time period, they would use the constellations to help understand the seasons. The star, Sirus, when it would rise/set with the sun meant the hot days of summer were occuring. This Sirus star was within the constellation, Canis Major (according to the Ancient Romans), which translates into “Greater Dog”. The term “Dog Days” comes from the Romans callng this time period with the Sirus star rising and setting with the sun “dies caniculares” which translates into “days of the dog star”. This later gave way to the saying, “the dog days”.

Nowadays, these days seem to be associated with the days of summer when the excitement of the season wears off, the hot days of the season arrive, and people start thinking a little bit about the “Back-to-School” season/ autumn’s change.

However, I think these “Dog Days” need to be refreshed in their viewpoint.

There does reach a point this month where summer feels eternal. Time feels eternal. Sometimes in a bad way, but also sometimes in a good way. It’s a nice reminder to live in the Now moment—with all the excitement, wonder, and awe that it brings. It also is a powerful reminder of the feeling of boredom, and boredom can be a propeller of creativity

So, July might give you this feeling of wanting the autumn season to return once again, to live in that more structure-filled time of the year.

What if, the “Dog Days” are a reminder to lean into this boredom—the restlessness—of the season, and forge a new viewpoint into thinking about how you can enjoy the rest of this less structured time of year, how you can use boredom to your benefit, and how you can remember the temporariness of everything in life? What if you can use “the dog days” to find joy even in the boredom?

#8: Summer Nights

There’s nothing like a nice summer night.

When the temperatures fall (just a little) to feel comfortable after the warm daytime.

The stars and sky seem extra bright and beautiful, and there just seems to be a better chance to just sit, and ponder how truly big and wonderful our Universe is during summer nights.

The crickets are chirping, there’s a fresh warm smell that just seems to radiate. It’s peaceful and when are you just in the Now moment, it truly feels like all is well in the world.

Summer nights, you are such a joy to have!

#9: Hydrangeas

Recently having been in New England (more on this to come!), I have been truly amazed—and reminded— of the beauty of hydrangeas.

Growing up, I was indifferent about hydrangeas (I love lilacs too much!). After getting to see them in all their glory during summertime in New England, they have truly shown me what a joy it is to see them in all their different colors during July!

Hydrangeas, writes Naomi Slade in the book Hydrangeas, originate from Asia while there are some specific species are native to other continents. In 1736, England recieved the first North American species of hydrangea which paved the way for Western culivation. In Asia, a doctor named Engelbert Kaempfer who-when in Japan-wrote about his observations of hydrangeas there. By the mid-1800s, hydrangeas were gaining in attention, specifically in Europe. Eventually this attention and love for hydrangeas spread to the USA. Interestingly, not everywhere in Europe loves hydrangeas compared to others. The United Kingdom-in particular-does not have such a strong bond to the hydrangea when compared to its neighbors, Germany and France.

One of the most interesting facets about hydrangeas are their different colors. White, pink, blue, purple-ish-they are all stunning! Slade writes that all these different color varitions actually have to do with the soil pH levels. Acid soils lead to blue hydrangeas while alkaline soil leads to pinker hydrangeas.

According to The Complete Language of Flowers (a resource I used to write my post on 10 flowers that symbolize joy!), some of the symbolism behind hydrangeas isn’t the best. Although there are some symbolisms that are joyful ones related to the hydrangea. These include: gratefulness and “thank you for understanding.”!

If you are a hydrangea fan-consider joining the National Hydrangea Society!

#10: Summer Thunderstorms

Ahhh the sound (and smell!) of a summertime thunderstorm. Perhaps one of the highlights for me of summer.

Growing up, I used to hate thunderstorms of all kinds, but my brother loved them.

Now, I’ve come to appreciate them, and all the feels of summertime they bring.

There is just something about a summer thunderstorm, that just feels so joyful.

Whether its being outside and sensing the air shift, seeing the sky darken a bit, feeling the air get a little bit cooler, smelling the air all of the sudden change, needing to rush inside because the rain is coming, getting to just sit and be cozy for a moment while listening to the rainfall and thunder rolling outside or going outside and dancing in the rain!

All of it combines to truly make summer feel like summer.

If you love summertime rainstorms, but there aren’t any, listen to this music of thunderstorms: “Evening Summer Thunder Storm Sound”

Let Us Know: What do you find joyful about July?