Hear Me Out: Summer Vacation for Adults

Because why should kids have all the fun?

Photo by MarcTutorials

Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Antonio, you lazy bastard, are you seriously proposing that we all just... take the summer off?” And to that, I say: abso-fucking-lutely. Hear me out, friends, because I think I’m onto something here.

Remember when you were a kid, and summer meant freedom? Two or even three glorious months of sleeping in, hanging out with friends, and telling homework to go fuck itself? Well, why the hell did we ever give that up? Who decided that once we hit 18, we had to surrender our summers to the relentless grind of capitalism? It’s time to reclaim our summers, and I actually have reasons why:

1 — Automation should mean less work, not more profit

Let's start with the elephant in the room: automation. We were promised that robots and AI would liberate us from drudgery, giving us more leisure time to pursue our passions. Instead, we got longer hours, stagnant wages, and the constant threat of being replaced by a fucking algorithm.

As anthropologist David Graeber pointed out in his book “Bullshit Jobs”:

“The ruling class has figured out that a happy and productive population with free time on their hands is a mortal danger.”

Well, I say it’s time we became that mortal danger. If machines can do our jobs, let them. We’ll take the summer off, thanks. Have fun making spreadsheets, AI.

2 — Summer is increasingly unbearable, so why work through it?

Have you stepped outside lately? Thanks to our good ‘ole friend climate change, summers are becoming increasingly hellish. According to NASA, 19 of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000. So why the fuck are we still pretending it’s business as usual?

Picture this: instead of sweating through your shirt in a stuffy office or risking heatstroke on a construction site, you’re lounging by a lake, sipping a cold drink, and giving the middle finger to rising global temperatures. Sounds pretty good, right?

Honestly, I’m just tired of sweating constantly.

3 — Less pollution, more planet

Here’s a wild idea: what if we all just... stayed home for a couple of months? No daily commute, no air-conditioned offices running 24/7, no unnecessary business trips. The environmental impact could be significant.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, we saw a dramatic decrease in air pollution and carbon emissions. A study in the journal “Nature Climate Change” found that daily global CO2 emissions decreased by 17% at the peak of the confinement measures in early April 2020 compared to mean 2019 levels.

Imagine if we did that every summer, by choice. It’s not a complete solution to climate change, but it would be a start. And hey, every little bit helps when we’re trying to avoid turning the planet into a fireball.

4 — Quality of life, motherfuckers

Let’s talk about quality of life. You know, that thing we’re supposedly working so hard to improve? Here’s a radical thought: maybe working ourselves to death isn’t actually improving our quality of life. Crazy claim, right?

Studies have consistently shown that experiences make us happier than material possessions. A paper in the “Journal of Positive Psychology” found that people who sought out experiences reported feeling more satisfied and happier in the long run compared to those who spent money on material goods. The experience can be simple shit like meeting friends or swimming in a lake, even.

So why are we spending the best months of the year cooped up indoors, making money to buy shit we don’t need, instead of being out there living?

5 — Schools got it right (for once)

Look, I’m not saying the education system is perfect. Far from it. But they got one thing right: summer vacation. Kids need that time to recharge, to play, to learn in ways that don’t involve sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day.

And guess what? Adults need that too. We’re not machines, no matter how much the powers that be try to convince us otherwise. We need time to rest, to explore, to remember what it feels like to be human beings.

6 — Happy workers are productive workers (if we must be productive)

Here’s something for the capitalists to chew on: happy workers are more productive. A study by the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved 10% less productive.

Now, imagine how fucking ecstatic we’d all be after a two-month summer break. We’d return to work so refreshed and energized, we might actually give a shit about our jobs.

7 — Equal opportunity laziness

And let's be clear: this isn’t just for the white-collar crowd. Blue-collar workers, service industry folks, gig economy warriors — everyone deserves a summer break. In fact, they probably need it more than anyone.

The physical toll of many blue-collar jobs is immense, and the mental strain of dealing with entitled customers in the service industry is enough to drive anyone to the dark brink of utter madness (yeah, I’ve been there). A summer of rest and recovery could literally be a lifesaver.

Let's make it happen

Look, I know this idea sounds crazy. Radical, even. But you know what’s really crazy? Spending the best years of our lives toiling away in offices and factories, watching the summers slip by, all in service of an economic system that treats us as disposable cogs.

It’s time for a change. It’s time to reclaim our summers, to prioritize our well-being over profit margins, to remember what it feels like to truly live instead of just survive.

So who’s with me? Let’s start the movement for adult summer vacation. Tell your friends! It won’t be easy — our bosses won’t give up their forced summer labor without a fight. But imagine the world we could create if we succeed. A world where summer means freedom, joy, and possibility — not just for kids, but for all of us.

And if anyone tries to tell you it’s impossible, just remind them: so was the weekend, once upon a time. We fought for that, and we can fight for this too.

Join a union.

Let the summer revolution begin.

Cheers, Antonio

PS: Yes, there are some obvious problems with this like emergency services and so on. Chill.

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I’m author and writer Antonio Melonio, the creator of Beneath the Pavement. If you enjoyed this piece, please consider becoming a paid subscriber here on Substack or over on Patreon. It’s the best way to support Beneath the Pavement and help me put out more and higher-quality essays.

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