Spring in New England can feel as though it is just filler months, a period of waiting. Months of anticipation of coastal summer air. A small taste of what summer will soon bring. Kids begin to lose focus in class to daydream about their upcoming plans, and parents begin to look forward to family vacations.
In the beginning of summer, everything feels limitless. We have the whole season ahead of us – our brains filled with the many possibilities of how to spend the short amount of time the strawberry moon brings. Bucket lists are made, day trips are planned, and days are treated as if they are endless.
As June and July slip away in a haze, August begins. And with that, the end of Yankee Homecoming and quieter summer streets come in as a checkpoint, marking the shift to the end of summer for local residents. While some people may have mixed feelings about Yankee Homecoming, perhaps this festival is a gift for locals, and a reminder to stop and enjoy the end of summer while we're still in it.
In New England, or Newburyport specifically, we are fortunate enough to get roughly 10 perfect weeks of summer. That means 10 weeks of beach trips, ice cream runs, and perfect sunsets. Allow Yankee Homecoming to be your cue to spend these last weeks before back to school and back to work to the fullest. Because as fall and winter roll around, and days begin to get shorter, we will all crave the fresh summer air and the feeling of the sun on our face. So make sure to savor it.
As the smell of kettle corn, and fried dough leaves the air, think of this as a yellow light, a memo to slow down and enjoy the rest of the summer ahead of you.
Don't get caught up in the stress that the new season brings. Stay in the present of the one that you have right in front of you.
Go out to get a lobster roll, dig into that ice cream, sit around the fire pit with family and friends, and wake up to watch the sunrise.
Because once fall actually does begin, and the leaves and air begin to crisp, you will miss the feeling of a slow summer day. And you will regret that you had taken advantage of the beauty that the end of August brings.
Don't think of Yankee Homecoming as the end of summer. Instead, think of it as a new beginning.