The smell of pastries floats through my apartment while the fan whirs and the music softly plays in the distance breaking the silence of the morning. I love the quiet Saturday morning that I get to spend at my computer pecking at the keyboard while the baking continues. It seems recently trying to find some quiet time on my own has been harder to do.

Summer seems to be that time that I find myself constantly busy. I hate to be indoors on warm summer days. I want to enjoy all the hot warm weather I can get. Even if I am home, I keep the door and windows open just  because no matter how much I try, I can’t wipe off thought in my head is that days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer, which means cold weather will be here before I know it.

I know I should not be all doom and gloom thinking about what will be, but considering how much I dislike cold weather, I cannot stop thinking about it. Even when I enter the grocery store and the cold air blows in my face, it reminds me of winter.

There is so much to do during summer days, concerts in the park, festivals to go, running for miles, riding my bike, dinner with my friends, that I am constantly out and about with my friends and never really seem to have much alone time.

Unfortunately I am one who needs alone time, lack of it makes me cranky and irritable and hard to be around. I need the quiet solitude from time to time to function better with others around.  Some solitude does wonders for my soul.

The last few days the lingering thought in my head has been to play hookie from work, grab a book, spread a blanket, sit under a tree and read a book and enjoy the quiet around me or sit at my favorite coffee shop writing, reading or people watching.

So far the only alone time I seem to be getting is when I am off running for miles, but for some reason the last few weeks even running has not helped in my search for solitude. It maybe that everyone is walking around enjoying summer and that does not make me feel alone or maybe because I seem to get accosted by strangers trying to have random conversations with me. I stop for a brief minutes and then I continue to keep chugging along, just thinking of that full marathon I will be running this fall.

Just maybe one day soon I will play hookie from work, grab that blanket and book and go looking for my solitude. Till then I will sit here in silence, enjoying the smell of pastries emanating in my apartment and forget about the days getting shorter and nights getting longer.