Summer Fun: Five Activities To Enjoy Before It Gets Chilly

In these modern times, with the popularity of working from home, television, and air conditioning, there is practically no reason to leave home. While staying inside at all times is ideal, the outdoors can be tolerable in short stints. Today, join me while I sit indoors and write about five activities that are so fun, you may consider leaving your couch for a few minutes.

Bags

While this game may be referred to as "cornhole" by some cowards, Bags is an American classic that has been enjoyed by outdoor humans for centuries. You throw these small pouches that are filled with a mysterious substance—maybe sand. Well, I guess that would just make them sandbags, which are something else. Anyway, the aim of the game is to get the bag onto your opponent's board or into your opponent's hole.

An academic game, the scoring in Bags requires a lot of adding and subtracting. These scores can soar into the low twenties, requiring a mathematically trained player to take part in the game and keep track of the score. As long as you aren't the dweeb solving the equations, Bags can be a passable excuse to get some sunlight.

What is in there

Wind Sprints

A favorite pastime of my 7th-grade football coach, wind sprints are a horrible yet effective way to get outside and burn some calories. Far less mysterious and much more straightforward than Bags, wind sprints involve running back and forth until you can no longer resist the sweet allure of air conditioning.

While I lived to tell the tale, they are one of the most dangerous outdoor activities on the planet. A recent study found that, of people above the age of 24 who attempted wind sprints, 83% died.

Cruel and unusual punishment

Reading a Book

While often reserved for indoor creatures such as librarians or retirees, I recently discovered that books can be read outdoors. Struggling to understand the plot and the big words, you can enjoy a gentle breeze and constant harassment from insects. If you're lucky, you may be able to finish your iced tea before a gnat lands in it.

As a matter of fact, over the weekend, I peeled myself off the couch and away from the AC to read. Following the book's plot is nearly impossible, and while I agonized over which Villefort is which, some tree gunk landed on me. The stuff stuck to my clothes, and while trying to flick it off my shorts, contact was made with a classified territory. Reeling in pain, a fly struck me in the side of the head, causing me to drop my book. I went inside soon after, but until then, it was mildly pleasant.

Calm before the storm

Smoking

Even though there’s nothing better than a cigarette enjoyed in the comfort of your home, stepping outside for a smoke can be a nice change of pace. Whether it’s a warm summer day or an uptight bouncer prompting the move, take a moment to enjoy a deep breath of fresh air between puffs.

Despite the fact that smoking indoors is more convenient, there’s often more excitement to be found outside. A celebrity might not walk into the greasy pub you just got kicked out of, but they might walk by. Imagine sharing a sidewalk cigarette with Paul Rudd. Now that's livin'.

Ecstacy

A Summer To Remember

So whether you’re playing an outdoor math game, sprinting until you keel over, reading until you are attacked by flying pests, or smoking with a celebrity, the outdoors can be tolerable in small doses. After all, the fresh air is nice, the berries are ripe, and the stream is thawed. It’s also a worthwhile practice to remind yourself how much better the indoors are. Before you know it, you'll be hibernating for the winter, so get outside, fatten yourself up with salmon and honey, and find a comfortable cave to live in for the winter.

There he is