Some of my best childhood memories come from the summertime. It’s not just the s’mores by the fire, sleepovers, movie nights under the stars, or long days at the waterparks, but time with family and friends that makes anything you do special — that’s why it’s nostalgic. In thinking about my childhood summers, I was curious to know what others’ were like. I was glad I did because I discovered how much I had in common with my fellow UFV students.
Jasmeen Kaur / UFV International Student Relations:
“I would stay home with my parents and in the morning [we] would go grape harvesting. We had [vineyards] of grapes and then me and my father, along with my siblings, would go out and pick the grapes. We would come home, wash them, eat them together along with breakfast. Then in the afternoons, we’d go out for ice cream. It’s really close to my heart because it reminds me of the time I used to spend with my family.”
Anmolpreet Kaur / Associate of Science / first-year:
“…Water and Ice is a game that we [used to] play … I am so attached [to] this game because I used to play it with my cousins and my siblings and I miss them so much … I used to play that game three [to] four hours a day.”
Charlie Ball / Bachelor of Business Administration / second-year:
“I would probably say camping because [it] encapsulates a lot of activities … I [went] hiking or fishing, maybe boating on the lake … that kind of brings together all the summer stuff into one nice, good family event..
Dadji Ariel / Computer Information Systems / first-year:
“Going to street fairs with my family, my cousins, and my siblings. It was [having] a picnic at the park in my home country, and all of these activities [kept] us really close together.”
Madison Stockford / History major / first-year:
“When I was growing up, I lived in Alberta and there was a playground and a big forest behind that playground, and my friends and I would go behind that forest [to] hang out. Sometimes we’d go up to the playground too and it was always fun. We liked to dig holes. Not really sure why.”
Reveena Randhawa / Administrations Office:
“When I was younger, growing up on the island, there’s not much you can really do there. So what me and my cousins would do is in our backyard we had a trampoline and then we had a sprinkler. We would set that up underneath the trampoline, and [create] a makeshift water park pool area. So [it was] just creating that and enjoying company with my cousins and our neighbours.”
Tatiana Jackson / Nursing / second-year:
“I think swimming because I had a pool in the complex that I lived in growing up and I used to go swimming almost every day in the summer with my friends. So, that’s a very nostalgic and relaxing activity for me.”
Vincent MacDonald / Qualifying Studies / first-year:
“I used to live in Ontario, and the Rideau river was nearby where [my grandparents] lived, and there was a park called Baxter that had a public beach that they always [brought] us to in the summer. I remember a bunch of times going down there, and it wasn’t the fanciest or most picturesque beach, it was just a tiny little bit of sand on the edge of the river. It was a bit muggy and there [were] mosquitoes, but it was fun as a kid.”
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.