By Lizz Bottrell, Citizen Staff

After months of cold weather, people finally have something to warm up to. Summertime is here! The kids are done school, an abundance of boats are out on the lakes, despite the price of fuel, and cottage-goers are spending every spare moment trying to grab a few hours of sun.

I personally love the summer, everything from the hot and humid days and the spectacular lightning shows to ice cream and veggie wiener roasts. Everyone seems to have a favourite summer activity that they look forward to all year long and attempt to take it in every waking moment until once again, we’re plagued with the cold weather which is pretty much a trademark here in Canada.

My personal favourite activity is boating. Everyday at work, I look forward to the calm evenings when my friends and I head out to Alameda Dam with the boat to take in some wakeboarding and surfing.

Photography is one of my favourite hobbies and I’ve yet to find a place I enjoy taking photos more than on the boat. The lake offers one of the most photographic sunsets possible, allowing for a perfect photo almost each time we go. Of course taking photos of guys wakeboarding and surfing proves equally satisfying. Even just watching their improvements over the days and weeks is extremely exciting.

Myself, I’m just starting out with the two sports, but that doesn’t deter me from having a blast! It’s so thrilling each time I manage to do something new, even the smallest little thing. I think it’s the fact that it’s a constant challenge that makes it so exhilarating. My goals for the summer on the wakeboard and surf board may be small in comparison to the guys’, but to me it’s all about the fun times with friends.

Summer is great because people who are generally introverted seem to suddenly become extremely sociable. There’s just something about the sun and warm weather that brings people together. Maybe it’s the fact that everyone is so sick of being stuck indoors that they jump at the chance to spend time with people if it means enjoying the outdoors.

It’s really exciting to know that now that we’ve finally made it to the summer, after much anticipation, we should have a good couple of months ahead of us for all our favourite activities.

Hopefully, everyone finds the time to do all their favourite activities on their list, at least once. Heck, I even encourage everyone to try something new this summer - just remember the sunscreen.