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BERKELEY'S NEWS • MAY 24, 2023

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The Clog's guide to making the most of the longest day of the year

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JUNE 18, 2020

June 20 is the summer solstice, marking the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s also the longest day of the year, with about 17 hours of full daylight! Since life has been somewhat boring for many people lately, we at the Clog decided to compose a list of things you can do — quarantine-friendly, of course — to make the most of your extra-long day on this special occasion.

Walk 51 miles

Going for a walk is a popular activity right now because it’s one of only a couple of lower-risk ways to see people outside of your household (while wearing a face-covering and keeping a safe distance). Therefore, there’s no reason not to spend the longest day of the year walking! The average person walks about three miles per hour, meaning that you can cover 51 miles with 17 hours of daylight!

Go for a drive

While it’s not the most environmentally friendly activity, going for a drive is a good way to safely get out of the town you’ve been quarantining in for the past three months. Driving from Berkeley to Los Angeles, a relatively popular trip, typically takes about six hours, so with 17 hours of daylight, you can make it there and back with time for a couple of stops.

Read a 607-page book

Getting wrapped up in a book is the perfect way to spend a lazy day in quarantine if you’ve exhausted all of your options on Netflix. The average person reads 100 pages in 2.8 hours, meaning that on June 20, you can read a 607-page book without even having to turn your lights on!

Run more than 100 miles

This one is for you if you’ve been using your extra time in quarantine to go running. The average person can jog at least a 10-minute mile, meaning they run at a pace of about six miles per hour. Multiply this by 17 hours, and you can (theoretically) run 102 miles on the summer solstice! How cool would that be to brag to your friends about?

Bike more than 170 miles

If you’ve taken to biking in quarantine, spend all your daylight hours out for a ride! Assuming that most people bike at least 10 miles per hour, you could cover more than 170 miles in just one day! Just be sure to stretch before and after that one.

Maybe you won’t choose to spend all your daylight hours on one activity, or maybe you will! Regardless of what you choose to do, be sure to get outside and appreciate the long days that come with the official start of summer! It’s a good way to make your days in quarantine feel more worthwhile.

Contact Beatrice Aronson at [email protected].
LAST UPDATED

JUNE 18, 2020


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