As we reach the halfway mark of summer vacation there are 5 things that if you haven't done already you need to do ASAP! Before you go off on a brand new school year here are 5 things you need to in order to start things off the right way!

1. Go to the ocean.

Make sure you take advantage of the warm weather and sunny days during your school-free summer vacation! I know that a summer is never really complete for me unless I visit a beach AT LEAST one time. So take your butt, your friends' butts, and even your family members' butts to the beach to enjoy this very hot summer we are in the middle of!

(also you'll have a tan for the first few weeks of school, and who doesn't love a tan?)

2. Reconnect with friends from home (neighbors for me).

I never understood how important it was to reconnect with old friends until I finished my first two semesters of college. I'm very lucky and grew up next to girls that I've known practically my whole life and I consider to be sisters so whenever I come home a quick hang out is just what I need to remember who I am and where I came from.

You will change more in these years than you ever have before and it is important to reconnect with people that knew you before college! If for nothing else than to just hang around people that understand you and know where you are coming from, because they are coming from there too!

3. Catch up with your parents/ family members.

Keep in mind, these people raised you and saw you almost everyday for like 17 years and then one day you moved off to college and became more independent than they were probably ready for. If you haven't already, one quick check in to see how life at home is going will probably soothe their souls as well as keep you grounded. Regardless of what is happening in your life, that check-in at home will mean more in the future to you and your family than another wild weekend out partying.

4. Have a "Treat Yo Self" Day (multiple if possible).

TREAT YO SELF!!!!!

Kinda self-explanatory but I'll explain anyways.

Go out and do something you love to do! Take yourself out on a little date and enjoy the world around you. Get your nails and hair done! Go for a hike. Get a massage! You have this extra amount of time, so why not use this time to rejuvenate yourself to get ready for these next two semesters of college! (we both know you're gonna need it)

5. Tell those you love how much they mean to you!

You could and should be doing this any time of the year but just in case you've been super busy (guilty), tell the ones you love how much they mean to you! You can buy them some flowers, have a whole day just the two of you doing something you've wanted to do for a while, OR you can just simply call them up and tell them that you love them. This life is way to short to hold how you feel inside.

If you do these 5 things, how can you say you didn't have a full, much needed summer vacation?

Life's way too short to waste anymore time doing nothing! Get out there and live your life!!