One summer way back when, my best friend and I made a pledge to go barefoot for as long as possible. Granted, we were only about ten or eleven, so the extent of our travels consisted of crossing the street to go to each other’s houses, a short walk to the lake nextdoor, or at most, a bike ride to the local pool–basically, all places where being sans shoes was perfectly acceptable.

Calloused though they were, our feet  made it through summer vacation without ever wearing a pair of shoes (well, hardly ever, but we definitely considered the venture a success). When it came time to head back to school in September, however, there was no two ways about it–the shoes had to go back on. Even still, though, the weather was warm, and we decided to keep up the shoeless routine outside of the classroom for as long as possible. We’d simply grown accustomed to the feeling and the freedom, and saw no reason to stop. Unfortunately, Mother Nature eventually gave us a reason–frost. It happened in November, and even making the quick trip over to her house to watch movies after school proved painful on my feet. It had to be done. The shoes had to go back on.

As I got older, the opportunities to go barefoot shrunk considerably. School, always, then parties, job interviews, and jobs themselves. Occasionally now I’ll run from the house to get something in my car without my shoes on, and it makes me a little sad that my feet can’t take it. Sure, I was the girl that wore sandals to high school even in January, I wore a pair to my wedding and am wearing a pair right now, but none of those things really compare to going completely barefoot.

Whether it’s soft sand, hot pavement, or dewy grass, I like the feeling of the ground on my feet, and I’m renewing my commitment to experience more of it. At least, until the frost arrives.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Our sun-loving crew compiled a list of the best summer-related content KIWI has to offer. Whether you’re into surfing, nature walks, gardening, or cooking, you’ll find plenty of ways to have fun all summer while being kind to the planet. Read all about it at kiwimagonline.com/summerfun.

Swimming pools are summer vacation icons. Whether it was playing Marco Polo with my eyes closed, psyching myself up to jump off the high dive, or waiting through the agony of adult swim, as soon as I get a whiff of that chlorine smell, I immediately think back to those gloriously hot, sunny days. Unfortunately, while the smell of chlorine conjures up some pretty sweet nostalgia, the stuff certainly isn’t doing anything for my health. As a chemical bleaching agent that is actually toxic in large doses, chlorine can pose a real health risk to swimmers big and small.

Although chlorine has been used since the 1920’s to keep pools clean,  chlorinated water has been found to irritate the eyes and skin, as well as trigger asthma. When the stuff interacts with the dirt and sweat on our bodies, it forms a harmful chemical called trichloramine, which a 2003 Belgian study found in high concentrations in blood samples of children who frequently swim in pools.

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