“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it. It’s like boats. You keep your motor on so you can steer with the current. And when you hear the sound of the waterfall coming nearer and nearer, tidy up the boat, put on your best tie and hat, and smoke a cigar right up till the moment you go over. That’s a triumph.”
―Ray Bradbury, Farewell Summer

It is always with some tristesse and some excitement that I bid farewell to the summer season and leap into the fall, one being my favorite time of year and the other feeling like the start of a new one (student nostalgia hangover, for the win).  This has been one of the best summers I’ve had in quite a while, with travel and friends both old and new enriching my days. I’ve had the pleasure to meet and talk with sustainable farmers about their passions and their challenges, have seen firsthand the sense of community that always comes to the fore when humans unite against adversity. I’ve met lively minds and wonderful conversationalists, learned about epigenics, soil erosion, the proper way to drink a daiquiri (in New Orleans), and what it was like to be a Carnie in England in the 70s. There is nothing quite like the freedom that comes with summertime, and the generosity it inspires. I am grateful for each and every story shared with me.  And it’s not over quite yet…

With that in mind, here are a few last-round-of-summer adventures to get into:

Rolling Stone’s list of Must-See Music Festivals or Music Festival Junkie’s August Roundup can get you moving

Mother Nature’s End-of-Summer Foodie Bucket List may inspire your menu

Thrillist’s Best Summer Seasonal Beer Round Up ; need I say more?

Fall brings new opportunities, new challenges, and a not unwelcome-back-to-routine feeling with it.  Everything from food to fashion has a different flair come fall, requiring less savoire-faire, more deliberation. The options expand, and so too do the choices that need to be made. To hit the ground running come September, a bit of preparation can save the day. Finding a balance between revving up and burning out is tricky, and highly personalized. Some things, however, remain constant: Get enough sleep, drink enough water, meditation, eat well, let off steam (aka move that body).

Some links to get you thinking:

Epicurious’ Seasonal Ingredient Map is great for planning your shopping in advance

SlenderKitchen’s Water-to-Weight calculator is a handy benchmark

UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center offers some free downloadable guided meditations that can help calm the mind and secure a good night’s sleep

Wishing you very well with finding your own balance between learning to let go and learning to get, relaxing and moving forward. And if all else fails… break out your best tie and hat and reign triumphant.