Mid-July.

NYC.

A literal hotbed of baking garbage and sweaty commuters. A damp breeding ground of inescapable humidity. The time of year when merely sitting in your kitchen, much less attempting to cook anything, is a full blown experience in the release of toxins from every single pore.

My best words of wisdom during this special season? Breathe. Breathe very deeply and slowly whenever possible. Sip cool water constantly throughout the day, such that you are consistently hydrated and never get to that point of needing to chug (like I did last night when I got home). Smile. There’s a very good chance that everyone is quite warm and slightly irritable, so let’s all do each other a favor and add in a dollop of friendliness and a pinch of compassion right off the bat. And, lastly, relax into the fact that you are a ball of sweat. The more you try to fight it, the worse it’ll feel. Embrace the drip, people.

In honor of this moment, I leave you with a simple collection of generally peaceful, cooling, and pleasant photos from various moments in my past sixth months both home and away.

Albufeira, Portugal

Peniche, Portugal

Montserrat, Spain

Peniche, Portugal

Cassis, France

Sevilla, Spain

Brooklyn, New York… on a rainy Spring day

And… to remember with friendliness the cycle of our seasons, the rhythm of birth and death, and the ways that raga (attraction) and dvesha (aversion) continue to hook and rule our minds… I give you this parting gift from five months ago:

Brooklyn, New York