Student dreams of slow summer

A Ngāpuhi student in Dunedin has set a personal goal of doing less, not more, during the coming summer. The student, who writes for Critic Te Ārohi, says they are currently less interested in accomplishing tasks than in simply having the time to attempt them.

The student’s attention has already shifted from the looming exam season to the long afternoons of summer. They describe the season as a period where the calendar loses authority, allowing for a temporary cinematic feel to daily life. This shift in focus comes after weeks of planning for a future that feels less constrained by deadlines.

The student moved to Dunedin recently and has kept a to-do list that includes booking a tennis lesson. That lesson has been on the list since the move. They also have a stack of books waiting to be read, items that have been delayed by chaotic weeks. The plan is to finally address these backlog items during the warmer months.

Road trips to Central Otago are also on the agenda. The student wants to spend time in the sun, specifically seeking out the heat that characterizes the region in summer. They hope to hover over one or two new hobbies without the pressure of mastering them immediately.

Last year, the student pursued a different goal. They saved money to leave the local group known as the Dunner Stunners. They spent six weeks chasing snow in the Northern Hemisphere, a trip designed to seek out anything that was not easy. This year’s approach is deliberately different.

The current plan is to make the summer feel like a childhood memory. The student wants a season with its own soundtrack and a vague belief that anything could happen before February. The to-do list for this summer is described as unnecessarily ambitious, filled with places to go, things to eat, and things to wear purely because they sound fun.

The student acknowledges that the list makes little practical sense. They accept that half of the items may never be completed. The goal is to have something to look forward to, creating a small, self-contained world to live in for a few months. This stands in contrast to the rest of the year, which is spent squeezing into schedules and five-year plans.

The student notes that summer often disappears quickly due to graduation, holidays, and moving flats. They plan to enjoy the temporary nature of the season rather than using it for a major reinvention. The summer remains untouched and waiting to become whatever it becomes.