Roll 'em Down

for the love of summer

Summertime is synonymous with many things. Trout sipping dry flies. White wine and cheese spread out over a blanket. Outdoor music. Beer. Bare feet. The list could go on, but in my world, nothing signifies summer like driving with the windows down.

Recently, the Caravan’s Writing Collective put out a “Community Prompt.” They requested to hear about a favorite summertime ritual and the soundtrack that goes along with it. It seemed right up my alley.

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There are five key elements of my truck that I hold dear.

The driver's side window,

the passenger side window,

the rear versions of both those windows,

and the incredibly important sliding rear window.

Each one opens and closes, but the results are different depending on what combination of windows you open, how wide you open them, who is in the car, what song is playing, and what the weather is outside.

The sliding rear window stays open 24/7 once the month of June hits; this is non-negotiable. The airflow is immaculate and only improves when you open successive windows.

On the cool morning ride to work, I’ll crack the driver window a couple of inches. Just enough to pull air through the cab and pump my sinuses with a fresh dose of summertime pollen, but not too much to overpower the sweet sounds of Just Another Day by Queen Latifah.

After the work is done, I open the passenger window. Traffic is heavy (for my small town), and I’m not in a rush. I turn the bass up, the treble down, and let Natural Mystic by Bob Marley & The Wailers rattle the loose change in my cupholder.

En route to pick up my summer fling, I frantically open every window in an effort to kick out the smell of wet waders and spliff smoke. Moon Groove by Noizu plays as I nervously prepare to not make a fool of myself.

Once I arrive at her front door, I roll up her window a bit. She did her hair up cute, and boy, it’d be a shame if I messed that up. I switch the song to Oh So Shakey by Charley Crockett. I hope she likes it.

After I drop her off, the summer sun has warmed everything around me. En route home, all five windows are wide open. The air flies through the cab, creating a tornado of energy. I crank the volume to MAX as Toxicity by System of a Down destroys my eardrums. A larger-than-life smile creeps across my face, because hot damn—I love summer.

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Summertime and driving with the windows down go hand in hand where I live, because it’s the only time of year that it’s possible. For these very special four(ish) months, this is our only chance to feel the breeze on our brows. Come late September, the clouds will appear, the PNW grocery store mist rains down, and the windows will stay shut until next June.

Here, if you don’t open your windows in the summer, you never will. Some mornings, I question my choice. I could leave the windows up, turn on some light AC, and avoid a stuffy nose at my desk, but what's the fun in that? Roll 'em down, let the fresh air blast you, and begin the day feeling revitalized by the natural world.

The pollen count may be up, but so are the vibes. Happy summer, Kudos readers.

Thanks to the Caravan Writers Collective and Matt Smythe for the inspiration here!

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