Yes, we go on vacation in August (because we like to suffer together)

Every year, as punctual as the mosquito buzzing in your ear at 3 a.m., it arrives: the August vacation. An all-Italian tradition, almost a collective ritual that unites the entire country in a single, chaotic, sultry mass migration.

Sure, we could leave in June, when the beaches are empty, the prices are reasonable, and the restaurants still greet you with a sincere smile. Or in September, when the sea water has reached the perfect temperature and the screaming children are back at school. But no. We choose August.

Why? Because August is an act of faith. It's the definitive proof that, despite everything, we still believe in something: in the right to sweat in line on the A1, in the pleasure of eating an €18 caprese with a view of the parking lot, in the exhilaration of searching for parking for hours under the scorching sun, with the air conditioning giving up after the second trip around the block.

August is also the month of great beach democracy: everyone on the beach, all huddled together, all wearing the same IKEA towel. The person under the umbrella next to you becomes part of your family. You share sand, forced conversations, and sometimes even sunscreen ("Excuse me, you're out of mine, can I get some of your 50+?").

And then there's social media. Ah, social media! August is the perfect month to fuel the psychological warfare of stories: who has the whitest sand, the pinkest sunset, the most unlikely cocktail. And you, sweating in a family-run guesthouse with air conditioning from 1987, smile. Because... they're suffering too.

But the truth is, in August you don't go on vacation to relax. You go on vacation to say you went on vacation. Because when we return in September, we need the epic story: "Hey, it was all full, but we managed to find this cute little place... 45 square meters for six of us, but with a spectacular view (of the gas station, but that's a detail)."

So yes, we're going on vacation in August. With our heat-resistant sandals, our trunk full of hope, and the knowledge that we'll get our real rest in December!