Happy May! The grass is finally greener, the trees are showing off their leaves and we’ve all got that nervous excitement in the pit of our stomachs. Summer in Maine…there’s nothing that compares.
Except this year is different.
For obvious reasons, this summer won’t be the same.
I’ve spent every single year of my life in Maine. I grew up digging for clams, swimming in the frigid water at high tide and at low tide turning over seaweed to find crabs, searching for “lucky” rocks all over our rocky coastline, feasting on lobster, sailing, picnicking on a remote island, hiking so many of our amazing trails or mountains -- the activities are endless. But happily jumbled up with those memories and activities are the “summer people”, or the tourists. They’re an integral part of our fabric and part of our summer in Maine. Many love our beautiful state just as much as we do and many of them consider this their home just as much as we do. Imagining a summer without them almost doesn’t sound like a summer. Regardless of what you believe is right or wrong, we’re in a tough scenario.
While I tend to focus on the positive and the light in this world, I feel strongly that acknowledging the loss and the grief over our beloved summer, a period of time that’s so short and so darn sweet, is important. We won’t get this back. We’ve been robbed by a pandemic.
How will we as Mainers cope? We will rise. We will continue to take care of each other as we always do. We will continue to support our local restaurants, our shops and our farms. And we’ll manage to continue to enjoy summer as best we can.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy my favorite time of year, with or without a pandemic:
1) Swim in the ocean. Need I say more?
2) Shop at a farmer’s market. Here’s a link as to where to find the market in your area:
Farmer's Markets in Maine
3) Take a walk.
4) Eat lobster, of course — support your local fisherman with our home state's most renowned indulgence.
