I have barely two days left to write a monthly newsletter before June closes. The month flew by!

School is officially out–fun and relaxation for kids, but stress for parents trying to keep them busy and entertained. As children of an immigrant, my sister and I dreaded summer breaks because we couldn’t afford a private swimming pool or sleepaway camps. Our mom only approved of church-sponsored trips or made us do reading and math workbooks at home. Summer meant utter boredom. Now as a working adult, I get to reclaim the fun summers I didn’t have–traveling and partaking in sports (both as a spectator and a player). It’s Brat summer for me, baby!

At the beginning of the month, I went on a day trip with a friend to Boston where I went to college. It rained torrentially, making it tricky to hop from one destination to the next. Given it was a day trip, we were on a time crunch with a train to catch at 7:55 PM sharp–spoiler alert: we missed the last New York-bound train of the night (we ended up taking a bus instead). Still, we managed to stop by James Hook & Co. for yummy lobster rolls and clam chowder that you can only get in New England, the Public Library where I used to lock myself in during midterms and finals, a queer bar near Copley for a pint of beer, Boston Common, Quincy Market, and the North End for Italian desserts. Despite the melodramatic weather and finale, the trip made me nostalgic of my undergraduate days.

On Juneteenth, my friend invited me and her parents to a soccer game between Brazil’s Palmeiras and Egypt’s Al Ahly in New Jersey. It was my first time at MetLife and my first World Cup game. It was scorching–I got sunburnt. Midway through the second half, the game had to pause due to thunderstorms, so we sheltered in the hallways until it was cleared for safety. Thanks to our support, the Palmeiras won by 2-0 (they are leading the group as I write this). As we were walking out of the stadium, the clouds unleashed all the rains they were holding onto–they fell heavily, leaving us completely drenched (I thought of Hilary Duff’s Come Clean music video). I did not appreciate sitting on the bus back to the city with a wet bottom and underwear.

This month, I also started a six-week tennis group class on Thursday evenings. I prefer lessons over hitting against a wall or playing casually because tennis is a technical sport—proper guidance and coaching make improvement much more efficient. As a former competitive swimmer, I love learning a new sport and building technique. Hitting a tennis ball with my racquet has become one of my stress relievers—imagining the ball as my enemy’s face helps generate more power.

I relish and savor summers in New York—perhaps more than I ever did—because I now have the freedom to choose exactly how I spend my time. I’m taking advantage of the warmth and longer days by playing as much tennis as the weather allows.