It is that time of year when summer is right around the corner. While the stress of getting ready for finals makes summer seem like the greatest thing in the world, right now, those of us going home will be sure to miss a few things about Gainesville a few weeks from now.

1. Fast food

Love it or hate it, Archer Road is a haven for fast food junkies. Just about every quick dining option is no more than couple of miles from most places surrounding campus. While it's likely that we'll all be able to satisfy that late night Taco Bell craving no matter where we go for summer, there is a good chance it will take longer than a two-minute car ride to get there. Having pretty much every type of junk food just a few miles away is something I have gotten very used to and will hate to give up over the summer.

2. Later Gator

If you don't call a college town home, then taking part in night life over the summer will be sort of a hassle. Paying for cab fare is never fun and if you have a driver, you run into the challenge of finding parking. Depending on how far deep in the suburbs you live, the drive out to the best spots in town can be pretty far. The Later Gator eliminates all of those problems. It will be tough when it's the middle of June and you realize there is no bus to take you where you need to go until 3 a.m.

3. Coupons

When is the last time you checked the mail and didn't have a zillion coupons for pizza and burritos? They are great lifesavers when your savings are down to the single digits, or when you are looking for justifications to ditch the kitchen and eat out. Unfortunately, what most of us call home over the summer does not identify with a poor college crowd -- no more offers to order large pizzas for 50 percent off until 4 a.m. No more will we come home to find nifty little offers hanging on our doorknobs. Summer is a time for paying full price.

4. Satisfying relaxation

Sure, the summer is full of lazy afternoons by the pool or the beach or just around home. But after three months of relaxing, it starts to lose its meaning. Sure, we might work, or even hold internships, but there are no papers to worry about, no exams to study for and no all-nighters to pull. Some of the best moments are the ones where you can just lay on the couch after turning in a ten-page paper and do nothing, knowing you are finally done. Being able to do that all the time is nice, but it is so much better when you have earned it.

5. Gator Nation

Obviously, we'll all be Gators in all kinds of weather, no matter where we go this summer. But back at home, being a Gator just doesn't carry the same meaning. When you run into someone on the street in Gainesville, you know you share a common bond with them that runs orange and blue. Back at home, someone on the street is just another random stranger who doesn't know you go to the greatest school in the country. It's just not the same community. The Gator chomp back at home means a lot less than it does here. As much as I love the summer time and getting to go home during those three months, I am always more than ready to come back in August to a town full of people who knows how great it is to be a Florida Gator.