Summer is the best and worst time to be a 20-something living in the city.

THE BEST:
  • spirits are generally higher during the summer (I dare you to find me a New Yorker who prefers the winter to the summer — I still have PTSD from my first gray, frigid, snow-laden winter in the city)
  • there is so much to do! Parks, BBQs, festivals, rooftops, beer gardens, you name it!
  • plenty of work holidays (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc)
  • AND THE WORST:
  • it can be a money suck (a pattern I’ve noticed: happier friends = more alcohol consumption = more money spent)
  • sweaty bodies on the subway and the smell of hot garbage on the streets
  • plenty of work holidays… when your co-workers are vacationing to their summer homes, and you are vacationing to… your tiny apartment
  • While there are a lot of amazing things about New York City in the summertime, I’ve come to realize how important it is to leave every once in a while. Without these mini mental health breaks, I become stressed and strung out; I didn’t know how restorative it could be until I was in the middle of some woods, smelling fresh air again. The challenge? Finding a way to “vacation” without the cost of airfare, hotels, or house rentals.

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