Last week, I was sitting in a meeting in a windowless conference room when my 90-year-old grandmother texted me a photo of the two of us on a long-ago summer day. In the picture, Nana is standing behind me, helping me show off a whiskered catfish that I had just caught in the muddy pond on our family farm in South Alabama. I’m in an easy cotton tank top and my hair is lightened by the sun.

Looking at that image, I had to wonder if I’m getting all the sweetness out of this season!

The city schools will be back in session in two weeks but there’s still time to soak up every last drop of summer. Here are seven ways you can:

Just add water: Swim laps in the saltwater pool at the gym, dip your toes in the over-chlorinated neighborhood oasis, or run through the sprinkler with your dog or your babies. It doesn’t really matter how you add water, just that you do!
Take a spontaneous trip: The most surprising, welcome text of the summer came from my younger brother, who lives in Rhode Island: “I’m coming to Huntspatch tomorrow!” Since he arrived, we’ve enjoyed the most low-key hangs: walking the dog when the sun goes down, trying a new-to-him restaurant, and laughing with our parents.
Feel young again: The other day, I was driving home when my Apple playlist served up a song that was on heavy rotation in my Discman the summer I was 17. I rolled the windows down, belted this teenage anthem at the top of my lungs, and took the long way home. Sensory experiences are often the shortest distance back to the version of yourself that had fewer cares.
Do your summer reading: Support your local library or independent bookstore when you refresh your To Be Read pile. Get lost in an epic, venture outside of your typical genre, read to learn something or simply to escape.
Let something go: A friend recently left a job that she had (literally) been losing sleep over. The first time I saw her after she resigned, she looked visibly lighter and her smile was brighter. Another friend “broke up” with a service provider that she dreaded seeing every week. Is there anything that you can let go of to make your days feel easier?
Appreciate the little things: Like all seasons, summer has time-limited benefits that will fade as the weeks roll by on the calendar. I’m trying to notice the fireflies on the tree line, the contrast of the green grass against the blue sky, and the way that ice cream is made even better by being softened by the heat.
Treat yourself: Make dinner reservations at the place you usually save for your anniversary, stay up past your bedtime talking to friends, and keep fresh flowers on the kitchen table. After all, there are some advantages to having a “grown-up” summer.