I was living in Madrid during the 2010 World Cup when Spain won the whole thing. After watching the final, I had been out carousing for many hours and had ended up with a group of Madrilenos in a traffic circle on some fairly large roadway that I was too drunk and too American to recognize. We were drinking cheap beer when one of them asked if Americans actually shotgunned beers, or if that was something they only do in movies, so I got out my apartment keys and demonstrated that indeed, it is something we do actually do, and taught them how it’s done. To this day I am astounded how casually people in that city would stay up all night, and I was fully unprepared for being on the streets after a World Cup win, but at least I managed to successfully shotgun a beer in a respectable time with decent form.

I had such great summers as a kid. My mum put huge effort into making my summers good. We had this battered old mobile home in a caravan park beside the sea and I have such fond memories of it and the friends I made.

This year, having hit total burnout, I’m taking the entire summer off and building memories with my own kids. Money will be tight but we’re already having a blast. Lots of beach and hiking trips so far and lots more fun stuff on the way.

What about yours?