The best thing about the summer should be the weather, which is never going to happen in the UK, and so for me, the best thing for me is the many memories I have from the many activities and holidays I have enjoyed. I am not sure precisely why but memories feel more positive when they are in the sunshine or warmer weather. The sun has always had a positive effect on my mental health, as I am sure it does for everyone, which is why people crave holidays in the sun.

When people talk about poverty in terms of not having money, or struggling with money, which is something I often face, I simply remind myself of how on earth can I feel poor but I have so many wonderful memories to bathe in? I feel immensely rich to have had all the many wonderful experiences I have, and in many ways, to be able to contrast them with a wide range of negative experiences that has helped me to grow and develop.

The summers of my life have been full of adventures, watersports, travels and intercultural learning. As well as many proper holidays, where my time has been my own, to many working holidays, volunteering my time to help others, which is always a rewarding learning experience. It is sometimes easier to forget your own stresses by throwing yourself into a whole new set of short term stresses as opposed to sitting on the beach doing nothing. However, age with wisdom and stability has made me able to enjoy and appreciate proper holidays more, especially cruises, which has now become my favourite kind of holiday.

Next week I will be in Belgium, windsurfing which I have now done 3 times before, being the only English participant in a cahoot of Belgium participants and volunteers. I will return with a handful of few members, and the photos to prove it, to add to my vast collection. If I ever doubt if life is worth living, I simply need to remind myself of what I have achieved, and the many wonderful memories I have, as this can rescue me from any state of dispair.

I believe it is important we all value the summer memories we have, and make an effort to make new memories by enjoying the here and now as oppose to worrying about other things when we should be enjoying ourselves. This means that during the times when we are meant to be worrying about things, we can take a quick mental bath into wonderful summer memories to help us remind ourselves that everything works out in the end.

Our summertime memories are precious gems to value and to enjoy when we experience darker days.