I knew this guy when I went to a summer camp many years ago who didn’t like the beach. If you read my other blog posts then you may assume that we were kindred spirits. You would be right. At this camp, going to the beach was a semi-regular thing. It was an overnight camp too. I think Americans refer to it as “sleep away” camps. In Ireland, we don’t really have that. This camp was a Gaeltacht camp. These camps were where you stayed on this school campus for three weeks and were only allowed to speak Irish. I had a lovely time, at the end of the day.

Anyway, I digress. Whenever we were scheduled to go to the beach, this guy I knew would be asked if he liked the beach. It became a running joke as his response was always: “don’t like the beach. Don’t like sand”. If I was a good writer, I would refer to Anakin Skywalker again, like I have before. But I am not, so I won’t. But sand etc.

As I am writing this, we are on day two of officially the hottest spell of weather recorded in Ireland. Our family has survived thus far. I even went to the beach yesterday. I gave in. I went to the beach, but not before applying sunscreen of course. This is where today’s story begins.

Let’s all be honest. In Ireland, we are not used to the hot weather. We yearn for it, it arrives, and we eventually loathe it for being here. It’s the Irish way. My point is: anticipation is everything. I, as a man in his late 20s, am still not used to hot weather on my home turf. My parents are used to it and have put in their hours when it comes to anticipating and being sensible when they know the hot weather is here. Then, there is me. Hi.

When I wake up in the morning, I have a set routine that I try to stick to. I may be too strict. But as the stoic Marcus Aurelius says: “be tolerant with others and strict with yourself”. I am a student of stoicism. I will most definitely talk about it in a future post. This morning routine does not include putting on sunscreen. On holidays in a foreign land, it is easy to incorporate it because you are not at home. When you wake up at home, in your own bed, it seems wrong to do so. Did I mention I live in Ireland?

Before I sat down to write this, in my auntie’s house, I left my own home without a care in the world. It was only when I got out of my car that I realised I should have probably tried to avoid sunburn. Now I am €9 down after purchasing the first bottle I could see. Looking back, I shouldn’t have been so hasty. That’s the price I had to pay going on holidays. The only issue is that my holiday takes place 10 minutes from my home.

Please, tune in next time when I complain about how I miss the sun that I hate.

Thank you for your time.