Summer blues

Each year that I've lived in Niigata, I've struggled with which season I dislike more -- the summer or the winter. Both definitely have some nice sides as well, but winter is cold and snowy, and summers are just so humid and hot that it's hard to really enjoy the season much. My home country does have humid areas, but I grew up in a dry heat region, so I don't feel like summers were as oppressive as they are here.

At this time of year I feel like I live my life in little windows. I'm up early (because the sun rises so early!) and I typically try and get some steps in before the day begins, and before it gets too sticky to do so. Aside from that, though, I feel like I'm just jumping from air conditioning at home to air conditioning in the car to air conditioning at a cafe if I decide to get some work done in a different setting. 

I really enjoy the great outdoors, and I end up feeling pretty down when it feels like I'm stuck indoors a lot because of the weather. We've got days over the next week hitting 33-34c, which would feel alright in my country of origin, but here with the humidity it's just awful.

I'm trying to do the little things that prioritize my mental health daily, including those morning walks, staying productive, and trying to get out of the house when I can.