By Ella Bronaugh

Intern

 

Kristen Mantel, 39, Suffolk

I think of having barbecues outside and spending time with my family. I would have barbecues with my family in Massachusetts, and we still have them in Suffolk today. It’s a family tradition; we would have them throughout the summer as well as one every Fourth of July.

 

Clarence Crocker, 67, Suffolk

When I was younger, I used to go fishing with my family on my dad’s boat in the Nansemond River. Whatever we caught, we would eat. If you didn’t catch anything, you wouldn’t eat. When we weren’t catching any fish, we would go towards the shore where the water wasn’t too deep so we could jump overboard and swim.

 

Kimberly Roddy, 44, Suffolk

I would say going to the beach. I grew up in Greenville, S.C., and my dad’s company had a beach house at Myrtle Beach that we could rent out a couple times a year, so we would go down there every single summer. My dad passed away when I was in my 20s, and the last trip we took together was at Myrtle Beach, so it’s a special memory.

 

Linda Christopher, 65, Suffolk

I used to go to the Outer Banks as a kid. I still go there every year with my family; it’s an annual tradition. It reminds me of special times with my mom and dad. They always made sure we had a good time.

 

Ripley Lindner, 17, Chesapeake

My favorite summer memory from my childhood is eating oranges in my best friend’s backyard. I think of it because it was really easy to be a kid where the only thing you had to worry about was sitting outside and eating sticky oranges. It reminds me of being with friends.