I don't know about you, but my summers seem to fly by and I end them thinking that there were so many things I meant to do but never got around to. This summer, don't let that happen. I know I'm not going to! Here are a few things that you might want to think about doing in the short three months before school starts up again:

1. Do something spontaneous.

We always think that there will be time to do those things that we have written on our bucket lists, but then all of a sudden, summer is over and nothing has been crossed off. Take that day that you happen to not have anything going on, go out, and do something. There’s no time like the present, as they say. I promise, it won’t be something you’ll regret.

2. Take time just for you.

None of us take enough time to really be alone. Being someone who loves being around people, it’s taken me a long time to learn how to value my time spent alone, and I’m still nowhere near to the point I want to be with it.

Take a walk, sit out by the lake, read a book, go sit at a coffee shop alone, go for a drive down some country roads, lock yourself in your room for a bit; whatever it is, take time to just be there with your thoughts. When there are a million things going on around you, time to yourself may be the only “escape” you will have and isn’t something that should be overlooked.

3. Catch up with those long lost friends.

I know it’s cliche, but take the time to catch up with friends you’ve lost touch with. It may seem like they have an entirely new life, that maybe you won’t be as close as you were before or that they probably don’t have time for you, but give it a try anyway. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Usually, if you were close at one point, you can be close again. Reminisce on the past, talk about how much you’ve grown, tell those crazy stories that each other has missed, and enjoy the time you have together before you both go back to your “real” lives. Even if it’s short, taking time to re-connect with people who you were once close to brings a sense of comfort and joy unlike anything else.

4. Say "no" to work for once.

I know we all have that pressure to work as much as we can to pay for school, save up for that car or whatever it is that seems to cost way more than what’s in our bank accounts, but just say "no" once in awhile.

I don’t know about you, but I am constantly being asked to take on extra shifts. Don’t get me wrong, I love the extra money, but I can do without the $50 I would have made. Saying yes every single time gets exhausting. It’s okay to say no. You won’t be fired, your boss won’t think any less of you, and hopefully they’ll even encourage you to remember to have fun in the summer and take a break from work.

5. Be thankful for the year you had.

No matter how many curve balls the last year of your life threw you, be thankful for it. I guarantee you aren't the same person last summer that you are now, and that's a good thing. Each year we grow so much, experience new things and learn more about ourselves. We make new friends, make a few mistakes, and, if we're lucky, we are still able to be thankful for it all.

Some years are easier than others, but each one is meaningful in it's own way. No matter if it went the way you expected it to or not, it most definitely went the way it was supposed to. Even if you're not thankful for it now, try to be, or at least recognize that at some point in the future you will be.

6. Finally, make a plan.

There’s nothing better than going into the next school or work year with a set of goals and a plan to accomplish them. Even if it’s just one goal, make it. Write it down. Think of ways you can accomplish it. I once heard a quote that said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Don’t just hope that your year will turn out well, plan for it to turn out well. I promise there’s a much better chance of having a successful year if you have planned for it.

Embrace the three short months you have of summer, make the most of them, and don’t let them fly past without making some memories. We don’t have an endless number of “fun summers,” as my friends and I say. Eventually real life will be here and we’ll have kids, jobs, bills, and who knows what else that needs to get done during the summer. Let's make the most of the summers we have now, because there’s so much more freedom in these years that we may be wishing we had later on.

Here’s to a making this summer worth remembering.