Summer

Welcome back to another blog! This week, I’ll be talking about the differences between summertime in the U.S. and Italy. This post will be specifically based on the cities where I’ve spent my summers here in the U.S. especially Ocean City (NJ), and the city where I live back home.

Starting off with the United States, fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to spend summertime on the East Coast, just two blocks from the beach, which helps me make a more relatable comparison with home. 

Even though I was in season when I was in OC during the summer, being so close to the beach made the experience far more enjoyable and more vacation-like. Training was held in the mornings, so we had time to go to the beach afterward or later in the afternoon. We spent our time playing soccer on the sand, having fun in the water, or just going for walks. At night, the routine became horror movie nights or evening walks, sometimes including a stop for ice cream. It was a beautiful summer surrounded by good people and a great positive vibe! 

Now when it comes to home, that’s where I usually get to experience a “real” summer. I still train, but I have no commitments with a team. Therefore, at home summer is different. I live close to the beach, which is where I spend time almost every single day, but people’s routines still differ compared to my experience in New Jersey. 

Usually, on Mondays and Tuesdays there are not many people at the beach. As the week goes on, more and more people start showing up. At the beach, it doesn’t matter what sport you’re into, but everyone plays beach volleyball, soccer, or basketball. In certain areas, there are workout parks with bars and other open gym equipment where many people take advantage of the summer weather to train outdoors. 

During the weekend, both on the East Coast and at home, the beach gets packed, so people try to get there as early as possible to grab a parking spot as close to their destination as possible. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest days: people spend the day at the beach, then dress nicely to go out for dinner, gather at someone’s house, or head out for the night (and by going out I mean walking along the boardwalk and/or dancing in what we called “chalet” in the boardwalk)Finally, Sundays are more relaxed, with people spending the entire day at the beach, and at night you’re more likely to see families out enjoying a quieter evening. 

Thank you very much for your time. I hope you enjoyed it! 

See you next week!