Sweater weather approaches. Soon we’ll be picking apples, flannel-laden with pumpkin spice latte in-hand, thrifting for Halloween costumes. But it’s also a goodbye to summer – a glorious season filled with its own traditions and nostalgia. In summer’s waning days, our staff wanted to share the places and people that make it a special time of year to each of us, outside of the office.
On the other side of summer (August), I volunteered at Play Make Learn 2025, which is an amazing conference all about playful learning, making and games for social impact and education!
Long days filled with sunlight and music, evening walks with my dog at the county park, and the summer growing season all make my heart so happy.
There’s something magical about summer in Wisconsin. After long winters, the warm days feel like a gift, we soak up every bit of sunshine. Our garden bursts with life, and most mornings you’ll find me strolling through it with my coffee. The front porch becomes our favorite gathering spot, drawing in neighbors for good conversation and a drink.
Our kids, who are growing up far too fast, spend their days running from house to house, camping in the backyard, catching fireflies, and tromping through the ponds, often coming home with mud and jars of mysterious water experiments. This summer, we even added a highlight: the Coldplay concert at Camp Randall, an unforgettable night under the stars.
I love this season because it means having my kids close, with fewer commitments, and more time together. These summer days aren’t just beautiful, they’re memories in the making.
I was born in the peak of summer and will attribute that to my love of all things summer – from time spent running and kayaking to laying by the pool with friends and family to traveling… I love it all! The one thing always in common though is lots of outdoor time. This year included lots of outdoor adventures from my country road runs, to seeing live music in the little village of Saxapahaw, to getting in a vacation to Aruba.
