Summer has a feeling to it. Longer days, more sun, and more opportunities meant more time to ride as a kid. As luck would have it, that perspective has lasted well into adulthood. By the time we’d flipped our calendar over to June in our household, it signaled that the school year was coming to an end, and soon I’d have all the time in the world to pedal around until exhaustion set in. That meant splitting my time between building dirt jumps behind the local post office or hitching rides to skateparks far and wide.

We can all put ourselves in a youthful headspace where classes were wrapped up, and the clocks became almost antagonistic, seemingly moving more slowly. Finally, it happens. The school year is finished. Freedom.

Even corporate marketers know it. Summer blockbusters have been a seasonal hallmark since the 1970s. UM Editor Don Williams and his generation had Godzilla movies to look forward to in their youth. My summer cinematic memories are strongly tied to oversold showings of Jurassic Park or Independence Day. Cookouts and beach days (or lakes, depending on your location) were the typical summer fare.

Ideas are supposed to change as you age. Foods that you detested as an annoying young brat suddenly become appealing. In my case, independence allowed me to accept that pizza is, in fact, an acceptable food item for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (cold or warm; dealer’s choice). Taste maturing is completely natural, but the one constant in my life has been counting the hours until summer.

Watching the clock isn’t a particularly productive practice, namely because of the frustration-driven questions it raises. Does time actually move that slowly? How much longer until I can close the computer, then take off to some local trails? Of course, responsibilities like going to the gym and grocery shopping tend to disrupt my normal summer routine, but we’ll let those aspects of daily life slide. Gotta eat, after all.

As we’re on the back half of this preferred season, it’s time to do a recap: What have you done so far? As for me, there have been a handful of track days, sprinkled in with a handful of good rides throughout Southern California, as well as various adventures to skate parks and pump tracks in the region. We’ve got the light, so might as well put it to good use.

For most of the countries that experience actual seasons, August marks the point at which the riding season is about halfway complete. Arguably, coastal areas of California don’t experience such drastic shifts in climate, which is to say that we have hot and less-hot seasons around here. Sure, the mountainous regions get snowy sprinkles, and the Bay Area has some temperamental marine layers, but by and large, we can ride year-round.

If home happens to be a place where leaves change colors, then time’s a-wastin’! Sure, we’ve talked about what I’ve done with my summer, and to be completely fair, it would be the same thing I’d do in any given year. So, what’s your plan? My suggestion, if you’re hung up on the details: Pick a weekend and stick to it.

Start by throwing a pin at a nearby ride, then gather whatever equally irresponsible cohorts you have, and make a day trip out of it. “Ride to live, eat to ride” is a mantra that all motorcyclists should know, as our machines are the perfect vehicle to justify a long way ’round journey for pie, pizza, or whatever tickles your fancy.

There is still plenty of summer left on the horizon, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy what’s nearby, or better yet, maybe what’s not. Before long, a lot of us will be flipping up our collars and reaching for mittens when we go outside. So, grab your helmets and go rack the miles. Safely, of course.