Whether it’s Bryan Adams singing about the Summer of ’69 being the best days of his life, or jazz legend Billie Holiday crooning about how “the livin’ is easy” in Summertime, there’s certainly no other season as ode-worthy as summer. Even tropical folks like us who are no strangers to generally high temperatures all year round still get giddy at the thought of the sunniest season upon us.
Now as we anticipate what summer this year holds for us, we thought now might be a good time as any to allow some nostalgia to kick in and reminisce about summers past. Here, some of our favorite subjects share their most treasured summer memories.
Aziza Mondoñedo, 27, jewelry designer/VP of Operations, The Tinder Box: One of my most memorable summers was just last year, July-August 2012. I had a mini reunion with former classmates of mine from the Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM) for our friend’s wedding in Bulgaria. With alumni flying in from all over the world, the whole event was like a mini United Nations. We were able to experience a true Bulgarian wedding and immersed ourselves in the local traditions—those involved a lot of eating, drinking and dancing! The wedding ceremony was beautiful; the ceremony started at 6:30 p.m. and ended at 7 a.m. the next day. And not a single guest at the resort complained at all! Following this wedding in Bulgaria, I was able to travel to Croatia and swim in the Adriatic Sea. This was also memorable because I was reminded that there are other beautiful waters in the world aside from our own.
Ramil Sayfutdinov, 23, travel specialist, Pelagos Tours & Travel: My most memorable summer was in 2011 in Rome. I was there for 36 days with my girlfriend. It was a romantic time. We took a lot of long walks and visited many historical sights. We fell in love with Rome, and more with each other.
Now we are married. That was the best summer I’ve ever had.
Carlos Alvarez, 23, student/shoe distributor, Vibram FiveFingers: My most memorable summer would be the year I took a trip to Europe. I had just graduated from high school and went on a two-week cruise with my family, ending in Barcelona. The most fun part however was when I decided to go to Ibiza with my cousin Paco, who lives in Madrid. What made it so exciting was that the day before my cousin and I left for Ibiza, I turned 18, which is the legal drinking age in Europe. Ibiza, being the party capital of the world, made it a whole new experience for me. Being able to go to all the huge, world-renowned clubs and being able to party to DJs such as Pete Tong and David Guetta made it even more fascinating. What capped off the trip and made it the best summer I’ve ever had was when I met Giorgio Armani in Pacha, Ibiza.
Chin Onglatco, 24, wardrobe/costume consultant: My most memorable summer would have to be the summer I spent in Italy. I was lucky enough to snag an internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. It was three months of hard work, but I loved every minute of it. It was absolutely surreal. That summer was like a dream come true. I spent hours with masterpieces by the great Modernists, lived in a 17th-century palazzo, and shopped in the market every week for fresh produce. I would either explore the sights or travel during my days off. I had really amazing food, good coffee, wine and spirits, and not to mention great company. And all that against the beautiful setting of The Floating City where every corner leads to something beautiful. It was definitely an experience worth remembering.
Surfing down under
Jason Lagaac, 26, netrepreneur: One of my most memorable summers was when I had just finished university. At the time, I lived in Wollongong, Australia, a university and surf town. My house was literally a five-minute drive from the beach. My wife, then girlfriend, was visiting me for my graduation and we would spend most of our time by the beach, usually swimming, surfing and just lying around. The sun and sand would get scorching hot to the point that lying there would be unbearable.
To fight the heat, we would run into the oncoming waves, and stay there until the water would be too cold, and then we would head back to warm up. At the end of the day, we would order fish and chips and Swedish brownies from the local shop. We’d sit there in the sand devouring the chips, watching the waves as the sun would slowly set behind us.
The pyramids and the Nile
Miko Alazas, 18, Political Science student, Ateneo de Manila University: In a heartbeat, I would say my most memorable summer was the summer of 2009. On a regular vacation to Europe, we decided to take a side trip to the exotic region of North Africa. Sandy deserts, crowded souks, bizarre cuisine—I had never been so deeply immersed in a culture so unique and distinct. Not only did I get to ride a camel, navigate a medina quarter, and sail the Nile River, I saw the spectacular Giza Pyramids! Of course, topping it all off was being able to experience all these with my family.
Around our archipelago
Mirella Gallego, 26, junior architect: Last year, my family and I went on a week-long trip to the Mountain Province.
The scenery is absolutely spectacular and you spend most of your time in awe at everything around you. Banaue, Batad and Sagada are so rich and unique in culture and heritage that it makes you proud that all that still exists in the Philippines. The highlight of the trip was definitely the trek down to Batad and seeing and walking through the rice terraces. It is amazing how each terrace was designed and carved by hand with such precision. The walk through was not easy, but it’s something worth experiencing to fully appreciate the region. To anyone who has ever thought about going, it is definitely worth the trip. It’s an adventure and experience that is very uniquely Filipino.
Kristine Roa, 30, Lifestyle writer, The Stylecebu: For me, the absence of ACs, the excuse to cut up an oversized shirt, and being whisked off to an island are all prerequisites for a memorable summer, and all those elements were there in my 2012 Boracay island summer vacation. I couldn’t ask for my Mai Tais fast enough!
Joseph Lo, COO, Coast Pacific Furniture Manufacturers: Nine months of preparation, excitement and the things we never expected while expecting resulted in such a wonderful moment for me and my wife Elaine.
Being able to finally hold our baby when she was born in the summer of 2008 was an experience we will always cherish.