Ahhh, can you feel it? Spring, I think she’s finally here to stay. FINALLY.
Now, I can’t say I’m someone who thrives in massive heat waves, sweating through my clothes while pretending I’m “loving summer.” But the beginning and end of summer? Oh, now that is my sweet spot. The warm yet cool breeze, the sun finally kissing your skin again after months of hiding under fourteen layers, the excitement of pulling out summer dresses and shorts like long-lost friends returning from vacation. It’s BBQ season, patio season, iced drink season, and honestly? My soul starts acting differently this time of year.
And if there’s one thing about me, you can always bend my arm into sitting on a good patio. An excuse to support a local place I love, gather with good people I love, snack endlessly, and catch some rays? Say less. I’m already halfway out the door adjusting my sunglasses dramatically like I’m in a Nancy Meyers movie.
It’s one of the simple joys of a Thunder Bay summer. The sun staying up until 10:00 p.m. feels like a different kind of rush, almost like Mother Nature rewarding us for surviving the -30 Celsius winters. And honestly? We deserve it. After months of scraping windshields, layering sweaters under jackets under another jacket, and debating if frostbite is worth running errands, summer arriving feels spiritual.
And our summers are special here. They’re the kind of summers that make you romanticize your own life a little bit more. Evening walks suddenly become events. Your “quick stop” somewhere somehow turns into seeing six people you know, grabbing an iced coffee, and accidentally staying out for three hours. Every weekend starts filling with campfires, beaches, concerts, farmers markets, and every excuse possible to stay outside just a little bit longer.
So when my bestie suggested we hit the patio at Lakehead beer company for a crisp beer, and grab snacks from Subdivision for dinner, say less. I was there mentally before the text was even finished.
Now, if you haven’t been to Lakehead and Subdivision, first off… how? Second, let me paint a picture. The moody exposed brick, the giant windows, the warm lighting, it somehow feels cool and cozy all at once. The kind of place where you instantly exhale the second you walk in. All of the staff at both places are amazing, knowledgeable, and downright rad. You can tell people genuinely love being there, and honestly, that energy matters.
And the idea of ordering food and getting a little buzzer to tell you it’s ready? Somehow nostalgia wrapped into my adult life. It brings me right back to being a kid waiting excitedly for snacks, except now I’m pairing it with patio drinks and conversations about life. It’s exactly where I always want to be.
Plus, both places host incredible events, so genuinely, go follow them. We are seriously blessed to have businesses like this in Thunder Bay. Places that create atmosphere, connection, and community are what make a city feel alive.
But honestly? The best part was the company. A good gossip and love session with one of my favourite people on this planet, one of my female soulmates for life. Because I truly believe we all need a few soulmates in this life, and Scotia is forever one of mine.
We laughed so hard one of us may or may not have peed a little. That’s friendship. We shared what’s happening in life, hyped each other up, solved approximately none of our problems, and somehow still left feeling lighter. Before we knew it, hours had passed without even noticing. That’s the beauty of good friendship and good atmosphere. Time disappears a little when you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
That’s the thing about summer creeping in. It’s not just the weather changing. It’s people changing with it. Everyone suddenly wants to gather again. To host. To linger. To say yes more. We come out of our winter caves craving connection, sunshine, and honestly? Tiny little joys.
And maybe that’s why I love this season so much. Not because life suddenly becomes perfect, but because we all collectively decide to enjoy it more. We slow down enough to notice the sunsets. We sit outside longer than we planned. We wear the dress. We order the second snack. We stay for one more drink. We soak it in because deep down every Canadian knows summer is precious currency.
So my friends, it’s officially patio season. Pull the sundress out. Start the Birkenstock tan. Make the excuse to sit on a patio for a coffee, tea, water, wine, good eats, or whatever makes your soul shine.
Because after the winters we survive? We deserve every golden little second of this season.
