Summer like a boss: Find your true summer joy and earn your Manitoba merit badges
CBC News | Posted: July 9, 2019 7:51 PM | Last Updated: September 17, 2019
Are you a festival fanatic? A road tripper? A beach bum? Find out and earn your summer merit badges
Summer has just begun and the possibilities for fun are practically endless. But summering like a boss is no joke.
Those Brownies, Girl Guides, Beavers and Scouts were on to something with their merit badge system. So CBC Manitoba, with Winnipeg graphic designer Kristin McPherson of Happyland Print Shop, has created our own Canadian summer merit badges.
Earn your own merit badges, and find out what you naturally love about summer, by taking our super summer quiz.
But first, here are our 12 summer merit badges.
Are you a Festival Fanatic?
That means: Crowds of joyful folk, food, music, dance and street theatre-loving people are your jam.
You are in your happy place swaying to a folk-rock duo from Istanbul performing in a giant field, or stretched out on a blanket on the grass watching pirouettes and grand jetés, or sampling international eats inside neighbourhood gymnasiums and community centres.
You are on board for a rodeo, pow wow, a small-town get-down — you name it. You love hitting festivals — whatever shape, size or description — anywhere, anytime.
Are you an Ice Cream Tester?
That means: Frozen treats make your life complete. You never met an ice cream shoppe you didn't like, or a flavour you weren't willing to try.
You are on board for ice cream, even frozen yogurt, any day of the week.
You love locally owned ice cream parlours but a drive-thru cone is not beneath you either. You will drive, cycle, walk, stroll, or skip to get your fix.
Are you a Wildlife Spotter?
That means: Spying fuzzy, feathered or scale-covered creatures is your raison d'etre. You have binoculars and aren't afraid to use them.
You haven't met a cute video of a baby deer learning to walk, or a moose chasing a puppy, you didn't help go viral.
You may or may not own a T-shirt with a wolf howling at the moon. Spotting wildlife in the wild makes you go wild.
Are you a Slushie Slurper?
That means: Brain freeze ain't no thing. It's just the price you happily when you are an avowed lover of smooth, icy concoctions from the local corner store.
You take slushie runs in 30 C or –30 weather. You may be a purist (one flavour per cup) or you may mix it up, combining multiple flavours.
In your opinion, there is no wrong flavour, no wrong reason, and no wrong season to get your slushie on.
Are you an Attraction Admirer?
That means: You stop for all oversized mascots standing roadside in towns and communities. You read all the information plaques. Every. Last. Word.
Gigantic snakes, a viking on a mount, and a happy rock in a top hat make you very happy. You insist on goofy pics with an oversized fire hydrant, a five-metre-high beaver, or a the world's largest curling rock.
Are you a Happy Camper?
That means: Living your best life includes eating stick-stabbed food cooked over a campfire, sleeping bag slumber parties, and calling a campground home for as long as you can.
You are a satisfied occupant of a tent, trailer, camper or RV. You travel light (with everything on your back) or roll up in your rig for some glam camping.
Are you a Chip Chomper?
That means: Summer is for food served from walk-up windows, food trucks, roadside stands, and retro drive-ins.
Fresh-cut fries, served in a greased-stained paper bag and smothered in ketchup and vinegar, is living large. A patch of grass, a park bench, a parking lot curb is your dining room.
You love a burger from a converted school bus and aren't ashamed to admit it.
Are you a Beach Bum?
That means: Sandy hair, don't care.
The beach is life. You live to laze on the sand, swim in the refreshing waters, make sand castles and walk the shores.
You own multiple bathing suits and have a go-to spot on your favourite beach. You also have three favourite beaches.
Are you a Blood Donor?
That means: You are not here for any life-sucking mosquitoes, or any and all stinging, buzzing, biting or otherwise bothersome bugs.
These creatures suck joy from barbecues, beach volleyball, garden parties, and summer strolls.
You own, or have access to, an electric zapper, three kinds of bug spray, citronella candles and torches, and/or a personal-sized fogger.
Are you a Bicycle Boss?
That means: Two wheels and a bottom-cushioning seat is your dream ride.
Pedal power is your super power. You log many of your kilometres behind handle bars rather than a steering wheel. And if you don't, you wish you could saddle up more.
You hate a headwind but can really rock bike-helmet hair.
Are you a Road Tripper?
That means: The journey is the destination. You hit the open road for no reason. Life is a highway and you're going to ride it all summer long.
You drive without direction and let your mood be the map. You stop along the way, popping into towns and exploring places you've never been.
A full tank of gas is all you ever pack.
Are you a Garden Grazer?
That means: You live for the harvest.
You may love coaxing your own greens to maturity in your backyard garden, or you may love supporting local farmers by buying their bounty at markets and roadside stands.
You know, even roughly, the harvest calendar, and follow producers on Instagram. You are already planning next year's garden and fret about who can take all your extra zucchini and tomatoes this year.
Illustrations by Kristin McPherson, Happyland Print Shop.