The Summer Craze Finally Ends

I never thought I’d see people so excited to get out in the sun as I did a few months ago but I totally get it. The world has been on lockdown for two years, with restrictions all over the place, putting on a mask was such an inconvenience, we couldn't even travel without having it up in our faces.

What a wholesome feeling that we’ve passed that phase.

I moved to the UK in the wake of this freedom. It wasn’t a planned-out move but nevertheless, a strategic one. If there is one thing I have learned from traveling, it's that spontaneous trips are always the best. Only this time, it wasn’t just a trip.

I was leaving everything back home in a bid to find something different because omo! Naija no be here o.

I made it out right in time.

The COVID restrictions were about to double down in the UK again. Another lockdown was looming and you could sense that people were fed up with sitting on their couches. It’s not rocket science. Our bums get sore from staying on a spot after long periods but the idea of spending yet another hot season indoors was enough to get us through trying times.

Well, not us.

For one, Nigeria is always hot and restrictions were more like curfews set by parents to keep their kids at bay. I didn't have the same liberties I had back home but it only took a few months for that to change.

Sun's out, Buns out... Literally

There's something about sunlight that gets you hyped especially in countries that barely get enough of it. Our little jail time came to an end and you could assume the pandemic was over, that we somehow found a cure for COVID just by the sheer number of shirtless dudes with beer cans in their hands. Ladies broke out the pretty little sundresses and biker shorts - oh my, and traffic was unimaginable.

Beach parties, circus shows, and cookouts were all in full throttle. Not a single day went by without hearing “SHAYOOOOO!!!”. The popular slang from Burna Boy’s hit single – Last Last

The wild side had been tamed for so long and the carnivals proved to be the best event to erupt. Notting Hill carnival definitely tops the list, ticking every box of craziness. It had the perfect mix of lunacy and art expressed in different ways by individuals of different cultures representing their flags with pride like it was the Olympics.

Image Credit: Ben Broyd (Medium.com)

Safe to say this summer meant a lot more than usual. It was make-or-break for all of us. The uncertainty we faced over the previous years drained a huge chunk of our energy but summer does what it does – lifts our spirits.

As our high slowing dies out and the chills of autumn sneak in, the memories we made will be just enough to carry us till next time.