The Core Memories of ’80s Summer Vacation That Make Us Miss Being Kids

Schools are letting out, and whether you've got kids or not, something about this time of year still hits differently.

Summer stopped being a vacation for most of us a long time ago — but try telling that to the part of your brain still wired to Press Your Luck ("No Whammys!") and the smell of a freshly opened Slip 'n Slide. Core memories are funny that way. Once they're in, they're in for good.

'80s Summers Meant Home By the Streetlights, Gone By Morning

For a solid ten weeks a year, you roamed your little universe without anyone — or anything — tracking your whereabouts. You more than likely stayed within four blocks of your house (except on those infamous bike-ride journeys to parts unknown), and yes, it's true, you were required to be home the moment the streetlights flickered on, and not a minute later. You did not want to be one of those "It's 11 o'clock — do you know where your children are?" kids.

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But here we are, older now, and those core memories come flooding back when we least expect them. The smell of fresh-cut grass takes you back to your terribly mismanaged lawn-cutting business. The crack of a Bang Snap on the hot pavement takes you right back to your best friend's driveway on a Tuesday afternoon with nowhere to be. The sting of chlorine reminds you of those full-day public pool sessions with not a patch of shade in sight and a sunburn you absolutely did not tell Mom about.

We recently covered the iconic 1980s toys of summer, but now it's time to give proper respect to the moments, the smells, the sights, and the sounds of a truly proper 1980s summer vacation — when being a kid was your number one job, and it was, without question, a blast.