There’s nothing like summer in the city. Except I’m not referring to Manhattan, the hometown of the aforementioned song lyric and the frequent summer travel destination of this New York girl. I’m instead referring to Somerville, home of Tufts, Davis Square, and me for this summer.
I have never been away from home for a summer. Never did sleepaway camp, or a service trip, or even a long vacation. Summer for me means sitting on the porch with my dog, getting reacquainted with my piano, and going to my favorite breakfast place every other day.
Summer does not mean waking up around 7:30 each morning because the traffic on Powderhouse Circle is so loud. It does not mean missing out on family movie nights. And it definitely doesn’t mean walking to school every day for work.
But summer in Somerville is slowly surprising me. Here are just a few of the reasons it’s been great so far.
1. I always have friends.
Between the plethora of people living in the two apartment units of my house and the students living throughout the city of Somerville, there is always someone offering to do something fun, or a friend I can ask to explore with me. Summer experiences are shared instead of personal and there is never a dull moment.
2. A change of scenery can be really, really nice.
I’ve lived in the same house for as long as I can remember, so my room at home isn’t exactly updated to my most recent aesthetic choices. Making a dorm room feel like home is achievable, but getting a brand new room of my own to decorate and live in is incredible. I have the privacy and comfort of a place that is my own, but have roommates just down the hall if I get lonely.
3. There’s so much to do, and it’s only a short walk away.
Granted, there’s not as much to do in Somerville as there is in a bigger city, but there are dozens of little unknown restaurants I don’t have the time to visit during the schoolyear, there are a bunch of summer activities like fireworks, and of course all of my favorite Davis hotspots are at my fingertips.
4. I get to love my campus without the stress.
I love Tufts year-round, but there’s something really nice about sitting in the library and knowing that it’s not because I have a paper due the next day. I can relax in the campus center without checking my watch to make sure I’m not late for class, and I can sit on the Prez lawn without the usual noise and commotion. It’s nice to see my school’s softer side, and I can appreciate the beauty of it a little more when I’m not busy with work.
The summer is only half over, and I’m excited to see what new adventures I’ll experience. (Shout-out to my housemates who always have something fun planned (or can turn something normal (like grocery shopping) into something exciting)). I do miss being home, but I’m so glad I chose to spend this summer at the summeriest ville in all of Massachusetts.
(Somerville.)