As summer stretches on, many of my favorite content creators are taking much-needed breaks from ALL the things (blogging, podcasting, social media, etc). I contemplated taking a break myself, but the truth is that my work here on the blog is less work and more play for me, and pausing my posting wasn’t really something I felt the need or desire to do. However, I am feeling the need to lighten things up a bit, so for the next several weeks—probably through mid-August—I’m going to be doing things a little differently with my Thursday posts. Mondays will be business as usual, and I’ll still be delivering Quotables to your inboxes each Saturdays, but for the remainder of summer my Thursday posts will be pure FUN. I’ll be mixing it up with some question/answer type posts, some celebration and activity ideas, a little book talk, and possibly a nostalgic walk through memory lane.

Today I’m kicking off this Chill Summer Thursday series with one of my favorite hobbies: QUESTION ASKING! You can file this one under “Know Yourself Better” (because we’re big fans of some quality navel-gazing introspection around here), or possibly “Know Your Friends/Family Better” (if you choose to bring these questions to your next family dinner or poolside hangout), and definitely under “Know Kendra Better” (as I can’t resist answering these myself).

Alright, without further intro, let’s get asking!

Shallow Waters (Low-Stakes Questions for Hesitant Answerers)

Rank the four seasons, from favorite to least favorite.

Kendra Answer: Autumn, Summer & Spring (they’re tied!), Winter (though I don’t loath it like I once did).

What’s your least favorite part of summer?

The bugs.

What’s your relationship to professional sports?

Not a fan, and I don’t understand the hype.

What are your thoughts about the beach?

I love looking at the ocean, but hate the sand.

Name one (small) way you’ve changed in the past five years.

I’ve grown much less tolerant of the heat and sweating, and more accepting of cold weather and rainy days.

The sea creature that terrifies me the most is:

Jellyfish, eek!

What’s your must-have summer accessory?

Sunglasses. We keep multiple pairs in the car and the house, for myself and the kids.

Would you rather spend an entire summer alone in a cabin or with a dozen strangers on a desert island?

Alone in a cabin, though if I could guarantee the strangers were friendly I may choose that option. (No one is more surprised than me that this lifelong introvert would even have to pause before giving that answer! I think Covid made an ambivert out of me.)

Which makes for a better “beach read”: romantic comedy or thriller?

Thriller!

Grilled hamburgers or hotdogs?

No thanks, grilled veggies or fish please.

Never have I ever. . .

Been surfing, owned a floppy beach hat, or gone scuba diving. (But I’m open to all three!)

Open Sea (Deeper Questions for the Courageously Inquisitive)

What is something you do that falls under the category of someone else’s pet peeve?

I’m a notoriously slow driver, I interrupt far too much in conversation, I talk through movies, and I don’t like letting other people prepare food for me.

Name one (big) way you’ve changed in the last few years.

I’m more grounded in my spiritual beliefs and more ambivalent about everything else.

What is something you wish were different?

I wish I enjoyed water and beach activities and was more willing to do them with my kids.

Do you have any bad summer-related habits?

I never put sunscreen on myself and rarely put it on my kids (thank goodness they have their dad’s complexion!).

Never WOULD I ever. . .

Wear a bikini post-motherhood, watch Jaws, go skinny dipping, or choose water over diet soda.

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. Thanks for playing along! Do you have any questions you’d add?