Summer Heat

Heat has a smell. It is rich, full, enveloping - for better or for worse. The air itself gets heavier and more aromatic with heat. Heat captures fragrant foods, smokiness, it can heighten the smell of exertion, sweat, sex, and it can amplify the smell of any environment, even concrete. Because of this magnifying nature, I think summer smells different in every place - capturing every nuanced scent of its surroundings. Cold is the opposite. It has a smell, sure - it smells clear, clean, and so bright it almost hurts to breathe it in. It numbs and quiets other smells, freezes them in time - so winter smells the same in all places. 

Everybody knows there’s something special about summer. It’s when places come alive, are dripping in experience and promise. Every event feels remarkable. Every walk, every encounter, every meal feels like more. With your senses at their full power, the heat allows for every taste, smell, touch, and sight to be that much more vibrant. 

Sweat runs down your skin. The cool lick of ice cream. The scent of meat grilling. The burst of fresh fruits in your mouth. The intoxicating smell of your partner’s cologne. The brush of a thumb against your neck. The sight of bright blue water. 

But summer is dangerous. Some get ahead of themselves, they get too excited with their technicolor experiences and create their own pitfalls. 

Summer can fool us. We want to consume as much of the vibrancy as we can, as fast as we can, but the key is to slow way down. It’s to savor summer slowly, sensually. If we give in to all it’s temptations too quickly, it will control our senses rather than pleasure them. We can quickly be consumed by the demands of others on our summer time. The alcohol. The parties. The food. But to truly enjoy a summer, is to make it your own. To make every meal an event, to make every walk an encounter. Your senses are already working for you, you just have to take advantage of them.

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I was inspired to write this because of the idea of scent memory. The other day, I was running in my home city of Chicago when I caught a whiff of a Marlboro cigarette. How did I know it was Marlboro? Because Marlboro’s are super popular in Greece and my trips there are the first time I remember smelling cigarettes. Even though I hate cigarettes, the smell of that particular one, always makes me happy because it’s associated with my overwhelmingly positive memories of Greece.

The more I wrote, the more I realized, that summer is super special - especially in places with four seasons. Because the rest of the year is numbed by colder weather, things just aren’t as vibrant. And even though we are all having a much different summer than normal, I wanted to draw attention to how much more notable everything feels in the summer. How even the smallest things feel heightened due to the heat. I know I am going to try and wring every bit of enjoyment from this summer despite the circumstances and I hope this article inspires you to do the same.

Me at Elafonissi Beach in Crete, Greece i.e. where I should’ve been right now PC: Kiki Moussetis