How to Beat the Heat When You Don't Have AC at Home

This year I moved into the first apartment I’ve ever lived in that had air conditioning. But don’t worry. While I may be happily sprawled across my bed with a book in my cool 70-degree bedroom all summer, I have not forgotten the window fan depths of hell from which I came. If you’re still without the luxury of air-conditioning at home, and whatever life hack about a bucket of ice under a fan you read in the desperate sweat-soaked hours of mid-afternoon just isn’t cutting it, there are still plenty of (cheap) ways to escape the heat. Here are 5 to get you through the rest of this disgusting week.

1) Go see my future wife in Ghostbusters.
Don’t believe the trolls. Ghostbusters is a genuinely funny movie that captures the tone of the original but stands alone as a great comedy. Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy have perfect on-screen chemistry and spot-on timing. While you’re sweating out this heat wave in your stuffy apartment, you could be laughing your ass off in an air-conditioned theater.

2) Read a book at the library.
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When you support your public library, they support you with free air-conditioning and hours of entertainment. Step away from Netflix for an afternoon, and check out some LGBT summer reads or comic books and graphic novels at your local branch. Lingering for hours isn’t just acceptable. It’s encouraged.

3) Pet some pups at the humane society.
Considering bringing a tiny furry baby into your life? Go visit some adorable dogs and cats at your local humane society. You don’t have to commit to adoption the same day, but shelter pets can always use some extra love. If you’re not interested in adopting, ask if your humane society is looking for volunteers.

4) Make it a museum day.
If you have a museum nearby, whether it’s a tiny town history museum, an LGBT history museum, or a world class art museum, pay it a visit. While massive museums may provide a few more hours of air-conditioned time strolling through exhibits, tiny museums tend to have dedicated staff who love to talk history. Either way, you’ll learn something new and stay out of the heat.

5) Take a journal or your computer to a coffee shop.
Ever wondered what all of those people, hunched over their leather bound journals or Mac Book Pros, were working on for hours at a coffee shop? If it’s summer, they’re probably just trying to escape their 90-degree apartment for a few hours. Order an iced coffee and spend the afternoon journaling, browsing your favorite style blogs, or getting some work done without feeling like you’re on fire.