For the lucky ones, after finals end, you have a couple weeks in between starting your internship or summer job to enjoy the fresh air and get some sun without being on a schedule. You have approximately 14 days of summer before having to “adult,” so here’s where you start.
1. Play with you pet
If you have a dog walk it, cat cuddle it and try not to get scratched. If you have a fish tap its bowl. No matter the pet you have, spend time with them, they missed you, too.
2. Have a home-cooked meal
For a lot of us, the last time we had a home-cooked meal was Spring Break — almost three months ago! So ask the chef of the house politely, of course, to cook your favorite meal and enjoy every minute of that real food made just for you!
3. Spend some quality time
Your family has missed you, and even if you don’t want to admit it, you missed them, too. Sit down for dinner, watch a movie, go out for ice cream, or just sit in the dining room and talk. They are interested in your year, and its always interesting to hear what happens when you’re not around.
4. Watch a season of "Friends"
Plain and simple, finals are depressing. We all need some funny in our life afterward and we know we can get that from "Friends."
5. Go to an amusement park
Let’s face it, in the middle of the summer, amusement parks get packed with young adults, families, and are way too overcrowded. Take advantage of college getting out before high schools and middle school, and skip through all the lines at amusement parks. Be a kid for a day.
6. Get lost on an adventure
Grab those friends that you weren’t able to see all year long because of busy schedules, classes, and studying. Get in the car and drive. Don’t have a destination and see where you end up. You’d be surprised by the beautiful things you can find when you’re not looking.
7. Go camping
The outdoors is good for you. It relieves stress, gets you Vitamin D, and reduces anxiety and depression. After a long, hard semester, the sound of cracking branches, the smell of fresh cut grass, the feel of lake water, and the sun shining down on you is the perfect medicine for the perfect start to summer.
8. Hike or bike
Find a mountain near you or travel to one that’s not too far. It's good exercise, and reaching the top is as good a feeling as it is to finishing finals.
9. Do some cleaning
Go through what you brought home from college and what you have. I’m sure there are things you didn’t wear once, or that just got destroyed. Toss it or donate it, either way it feels good to lighten up the closet.
10. Relax
Sit back relax and have fun. You only have a few years of college before you only get two weeks vacation a year. So embrace the freedom while you have it, explore, make new friends, find places that you will never forget, create memories that are unforgettable.
11. Have fun!
It's summer, just have fun!
