Happy Thursday!

With the vibes so high for all the reasons I laid out on Monday, it’s time to think about the rest of the summer. Nostalgia for the summer of 2016 began percolating around this time last year, but it has been in full force as we’ve actually begun to approach the season. Summer 2026 will be as epic and fun as summer 2016, they say. How do we make that happen? We gotta get a little silly (like I do here), for starters. We also probably have to put our phones down. One thing is for absolute certain: WE’RE OUTSIDE THIS SUMMER! 

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At the beginning of the year, I sat at a bar with friends slightly tipsy and declared that “Hennything is possible in freaky freaky six.” What can I say? Sometimes I spout nonsense, a habit my friends know well.

Yet this has become a bit of a mantra among my friend group over the past six months, so much so that I feel compelled to proselytize a bit. It boils down to this: In order to have a good time, we have to let go of our inhibitions, do things with abandon, and get out of our comfort zones. 

Because hasn’t that always been the sentiment behind “Hennything is possible,” a phrase that has existed for a long time but has especially been tied to that mythical summer of 2016? Beyond any attempts to bring this slogan back, Hennessy also has had bit of a moment on TikTok and X in recent weeks, opening the door for a season as crazy as a decade ago. Obviously, it’s less about the drink and more about what it represents, but I find the recent online trends about Hennessy to be a sign that this uninhibited energy will permeate the upcoming summer.

Still, some people are understandably skeptical that this kind of vibe could make a comeback. One TikToker put it plainly earlier this year: “Hennything stopped being possible.” Therefore, the highs from 10 years ago could not be replicated. 

To be fair, everything has indeed felt bleak and fearful lately, not just what’s happening politically but also in the way we all move through the world. With the constant self-consciousness that comes with this current culture of surveillance, in which we all are aware that we may be filmed at any time, we’ve learned how to police our own behavior. 

It’s not very fun to go through life worried that you’ll be caught slipping. The pressure to appear composed all the time prohibits us from experiencing everything that life has to offer. This includes the good, the bad, the embarrassing, the emotional, the pleasurable, the slightly out-of-control, and the risk of new things. That’s what makes us human, a skill—yes, a skill—that seems increasingly under threat with the rise of hyperconvenience.