Okay so summer doesn’t technically start until mid-June, but the May long weekend has always been Canada’s unofficial official kickoff for the summer and it’s arguably the best long weekend of the summer. Let me explain.
1. My birthday is on the long weekend (okay, this is more of a personal thing, but my birthday always falls around the long weekend, which basically means by birthday is a national holiday and damn straight I treat it like that)
2. Since there are three more long weekends in the summer to go, everyone is so excited and full of promise for the summer to come
3. It’s always the first weekend up at the cottage
4. May 2-4 will always remind you of renting a cottage when you were 19 with your crew
5. It’s finally (finally) warm enough to maaaaaybe rock a bikini top for interval training (i.e. 20 minutes in the sun, 20 minutes out, but omg don’t skip the SPF guys!)
6. It’s the start of the summer blockbuster movie releases (you can almost bet a Marvel movie is out)
7. Drive-ins usually open this weekend (in case you want to watch one of those Marvel movies)
8. ROAD TRIPS (and tunes to go with)
9. It’s warm enough for a picnic, but not so hot that you feel like you’re dying
10. Hi, it’s a long weekend, which means an extra day of sleep/drinking/whatever
11. Pre-summer sales on summer clothes you actually need
12. A lot of people escape the city, which means if you’re staying local, you can actually go to the mall without wanting to commit a violent crime
13. The weather is sometimes unpredictable (#welcometoCanada), which means if you’re not ready to debut your “summer bod,” you don’t have to go anywhere
14. There aren’t too many bugs out yet
15. If you’re brave enough to go swimming in the lake this weekend, you immediately gain bragging rights for the rest of the summer because you’re obviously killing it
16. You always get a sneaky tan from sitting outside, even if it’s chilly
17. You can wear a maxi dress without roasting
18. If you want a quick weekend getaway, you don’t have to book any time off work
19. Outdoor tourist attractions won’t be as busy as they will in the summer
20. Patio beers
21. Fireworks!
22. Bonfires
23. Did I mention no bugs?
24. After a couple months of make-up-your-mind weather, it kinda just sneaks up on you. Surprise long weekend! Woohoo!
25. You finally have time to start reading that pile of books
26. Or do that “spring cleaning” thing that type As did like two months ago
27. Bars start serving sangria again
28. Barbecues (because you should probably eat something with all that sangria)
29. Forget everything I just said. It’s my birthday and that’s all that matters.
