The New York Narrative’s Guide to doing Summer Right

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of updates. The New York Narrative has been adulting hard and being a responsible human traveling for work and staying afloat but we are here!

Anyone that knows me knows that Summer is my favorite season and the only time I find it appropriate to go off the grid a bit. If you’re looking for me, 99% chance I’ll be at the beach.

Which leads us to this post: how to do Summer right.

Whenever I come in on a Monday the Girls in my office asked me if I was on vacation, and like, no Susie I wasn’t I just got my friends together and went on a local adventure. NYC offers so much but so do it’s surrounding areas so here is a fun Gif formatted version of how to enjoy Summer.

So take a look, enjoy the weekend—get outside it’ll be gorgeous, and enjoy!

— Christian

It was a long, long winter. We layered up not only clothes, but with an extra layer around our midsections. We hunkered down, and waited it out.

Come March we realized Bikini season was around the corner and had to do something about it.

We ate (mostly) healthy…

…but cracked and binged. We’ve all been there— what else is Shake Shack for?

After months and months Winter was finally over. We’ve burst back into society and that means….

…Summer is here!

No more coats! No more layers! No more wool or tartan or plaids! All the hot Men have thawed and are showing off their calf muscles!

We can pull out that bathing suit bought slightly buzzed late night on-line we used as inspiration to “get fit.”

You remember how much you love the city and how endless the possibilities are with nice weather. The sun stays out hours longer justifying all your questionable decisions.

Try and get me to stay in the city for the weekend: I’ll be at the beach. The options are endless with Fire Island, Long Beach, Jacob Riis, The Hamptons, Montauk, etc..

As if you couldn’t already wait to get out of work and play in the sunshine, there’s the option of drinking outside as well which set’s off every group chat you’re on.

This leads to being out every night during the week and making Beach filled weekend plans.

Saturday morning rolls around and instead of staying in the night before you went out and now realize you’ve told everyone you’ll meet them at Penn Station at some ungodly hour.

You throw 15 bathing suit options, a tank top, Advil, half a bagel, and mismatched flip flops into a bag and jet to the LIRR praying you don’t miss it.

Catching the LIRR can be hell and you better get the one you want. No one wants to wait in the hellhole we call Penn Station for the next one.

You’ll be met with some kind of annoyance like a screaming child and/or a rival group of friends telling last night’s stories that may or may not be better than your tribes.

You just sip your ice coffee and pretend it’ll all be alright. You were already running late, but, it would have been insane not to stop for that coffee and worth the risk of missing the train.

Then: you’ve made it!

You can play games, catch rays, and and have fun in the sun!

There’s also no judgment for cocktails that early morning. Post LIRR you deserve it.

After hours of roasting comes the part of the day where you tirelessly try and Instagram the hottest photo of yourself making someone who’s done you wrong eat it.

You end up looking like this, so, just enjoy the sunshine and if you get a good snap be thankful and filter that to no end.

If you opt for a further trip like Fire Island or the Hamptons, then you should really pat yourself on the back you made it in one piece.

(Responsible) Fun on the beach comes next.

Don’t forget: if you’re pale AF you need sunscreen…

…because no one wants to hear about your burn or have to deal with this at Happy Hour. You’re old enough to have a 401 K, you’re old enough to know if you burn.

If the beach isn’t your thing but you want to enjoy the great outdoors, there are a ton of other wonderful things to do in our fair city.

Grab a book, or Kindle, or whatever device you read your YA novel on and sit outside.

Date a guy with a pool for the summer, so you can bronze and still stay cool. Bonus: he probably has a kitchen full of snacks if he has a pool.

There’s also the options of boats, which, I highly recommend hiring a professional to drive for you. Tipping him handsomely post-excursion is also highly recommended. Behaving on a boat is just boring, so, being nice in the end is the right way to go.

There are usually outdoor activities like Music Festivals or Art Shows in Brooklyn if you’re feeling the need to show off on Instagram how cultured you are.

There are also times where’s it’s 100% acceptable to stay indoors on those 103 degree days with whatever Netflix has to offer in your (hopefully) air conditioned apartment.

Don’t forget to keep your exercise up. Every weekend will find you in a bathing suit and/or dress/suit combo for someone’s Summer wedding needing to look impossibly fresh.

You’ll eventually get “Sunday Scaries,” as my friend group calls them, where you wake up regretting every purchase, decision, and the fact you forgot to reapply that Sunscreen I warned you about earlier…