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There are approximately 15,074,218,739,128 articles saying "perfect summer body in 10 days."

Or  "summer bucket list."

Or  "summer travel guide."

Or fifty things you absolutely have to do before Labor Day.

This is not that.

Summer is not meant to be optimized.

We think the best summers are built from smaller moments— the kind you forget to photograph because you're too busy living them. Conversations that stretch longer than expected. Roadside stops that become the highlight of the trip. Afternoons with absolutely no agenda.

So here's our highly unofficial guide, from some people who take summer pretty seriously

#1 Find the Best Hot Dog

Hot dogs are the official, unofficial food of summer.

We don't make the rules.

This year's winner is a Grandpa's Glizzys at Garbo's pop-up. We stumbled onto the pop-up after a trip to BookPeople, which meant we had absolutely no choice but to stop. Our go-to is usually the Kimchi Dog. But, Nico really outdid himself here. The Meredith Blake, topped with caviar, will change your worldview. We paired it with one of Shel's frozen lemonades and it was over for all other dogs. We highly encourage you to track down Grandpa’s Glizzy’s, and if you aren’t local here in Austin— Don't overthink it. Go find your summer hot dog.

#2 Read an Unhinged Book

There is something really satisfying about reading a book that is totally off the wall. It’s good for your brain. Really good. It reminds your brain that surprise is a good thing and keeps us curious and expansive. Summer is the perfect time to stop optimizing everything—including your reading list. So read a weird book like Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. It will have you cringing, laughing, crying and feeling alive. It’s so out there, I’ll be thinking about it every time I see a handsome plane’s profile. 

#3 Throw a Pool Party

Spending time with friends hits different in the summer time. Everyone's livin' a little looser, so don't overthink it— a kiddie pool, an apartment pool, or the neighborhood pool. Grab a speaker, text the group chat, and meet wherever there's water. Summer’s not meant to be complicated. Just get in the water.

#4 Fly a Kite

We are so serious about this one. Want to feel the weight of the world lift off your shoulders? Go. Fly. A. Kite. The only point to flying a kite, is flying a kite and that is shockingly satisfying in a way that few things in adulting are. We only recently rediscovered the elation that is kite flying on a recent trip to Galveston. *If you go there, there is a locally owned kite shop with every kite you could ever imagine and it is well worth the stop. We bought 2 kites and took them out to the beach for a sunset fly and it reprogrammed us. If you want to talk line laundry— please reach out.

#5 Make Tropical Cocktails

For those who know us, you know that tropical cocktails have a hold on us. We love to try them, we love to make them. Summer is the perfect time to make cocktails the long way. Fresh citrus, homemade syrups, and the good rum. A really good cocktail has a certain kind of power that can turn a good happy hour into a late night. We love a happy hour that lasts long after the ice has melted. One of our favorite books for tropical inspired cocktails is Shanon Mustifer’s Tiki. Her recipes are tops.

#6 Make an Analog Mixtape

We’re tired of playlists. We can always tweak them, improve them, skip songs. add songs. build another one next week. But a mixtape? That is sacred. It’s locked in time, each one representing who you were and what you were listening to at a specific moment in time. They are tangible, collectable, and revisitable in a way that is lost in the current way we consume music. So we encourage this: Make a mixtape, not a playlist. Take it offline, and revisit it next year, and we promise all those memories will come rushing back. 

#7 Always Pack the Gummies

Your summer will be glad you did.

We believe the best summers are spent offline—surrounded by friends, slowing down long enough to notice the birdsong, laughing really hard, giving your mind room to wander, taking the weekend trip, and living life all the way up.

Wherever summer takes you, take us with you.

See you out there.