By Maria Jana Minela Ilustre
Summer is the hottest of the four seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. You probably knew that already, but this is all new information for someone like me who came from a tropical country. During summer, the sunrises are earlier and the sunsets occur later, which is a win for me since I love getting to see the beautiful sunrise and sunsets Edmonton has to offer. Since summer is approaching and this will be my first time experiencing this season in Canada, I asked a few residents what summer is like here and what I can do to make it more enjoyable.
The first and most often suggested advice is to get a fan. A few folks did say to get A/C, but I’m a broke college student, so air conditioning is just so out of my league, I won’t even think about it. They say summers get hot here – up to 30 degrees. But that doesn’t concern me, because for me, that’s an average summer temperature. What does concern me is that I may have gotten accustomed to the cold Canadian winter, which is why I may have been looking for some fans to purchase online. This one is a maybe for me; we’ll see how Alberta’s summer heat compares to the tropics!
Second up on my to-do list is to buy bug spray. Bugs do not scare me, but it was still nice to live a few months without having to think of pesky bugs that could crawl up to me. This suggestion is a definite yes for someone living in Alberta.
The next thing someone told me to do was invest in a bike. With a bike, you can enjoy the River Valley trails and parks. Plus, biking is a more accessible and sustainable way to get around the city. The problem with this suggestion is… I don’t know how to ride a bike. So, it’s a no for me, unfortunately.
Lastly, the best advice yet – just don’t worry about it too much and enjoy the summer! They say the summers here are great, with lots of sun, warmth, long days, cool thunderstorms and many events and festivals. I am looking forward to those!
Whether or not it’s your first summer here in Edmonton, I hope you enjoy the upcoming summer so that we can all face fall and winter with some warmth that’s leftover from Alberta’s hottest season.
COVER PHOTO by Filip Nowak via Edmonton Made
