Summer Isn't Over Until You Say It Is

Labor Day may be the unofficial end of summer and though September 23 signals the official start of the autumn equinox, I'm here to tell you that summer isn't over until you say it is.

If the late laidback singer-songwriter and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett taught us anything, it's that summer is a state of mind.

In the post-pandemic age of remote work, the next getaway is never too far away.

On top of that, as the temperatures drop so do the crowds and the cost of travel. You'll find a plethora of awesome deals this shoulder season as the kids head back to school and many travelers begin making plans to visit loved ones for the hectic holiday season.

But what about the weather?

Don't worry. There are countless warm-weather destinations worthy of exploring across the United States alone. Cities like Las Vegas, Miami and Scottsdale come to mind.

The Caribbean—especially in the wake of Atlantic hurricane season, which ends November 1—is another paradise beholden to no season. Destinations like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are even open to Americans without a passport.

Summer is a mindset. (Photo Credit: PeopleImages / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

It's true that there's a trip for every season but so often so many of us save our precious and hard-earned vacation days for the summer. But that's only three months out of the entire year. Why limit ourselves?

Summer doesn't have to be over until you say it is.

Sure, football may be back on your TV screen and the leaves are beginning to change colors in some places. But that doesn't mean you're sun-kissed bliss has to get packed away until 2024.

Up until this year, summer hadn't been the same in the post-COVID world so there's no shame in getting some of that time back.

Summer isn't just about the weather and what the calendar says. It's a mindset and yours doesn't have to end just yet.

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