You’ve waited 18 years to graduate and now you’re preparing to leave for college! This is a very significant summer and there’s so much to do in the next three months…

Spend time with your friends. You spend four years of your life surrounded by the same people and whether you enjoyed the time or not, college is going to be different. The phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” proves to be so true. Granted- you meet plenty of new friends in college, but friends should never go out of style. So this summer, the summer before you leave each other and scatter to different cities and colleges, spend time with those who were there for it all. Spend time with the people who were there for the first kiss, first heartbreak, first prom, graduation, all the laughs, all the tears, and all the memories. They matter and I promise you’ll miss them more than you know.

Spend time with your family. Sometimes it’s so easy to overlook them. You spend everyday out with friends, forgetting about the people left at home- the ones who will miss you most. You’re leaving the roommates you’ve had for 18 years. They’ve sacrificed a lot to get you to this point. They’ve given support for every school function and crazy ambition you’ve had, they’ve loved through the rough “I know it all” phase. Your mom is going to miss her mini-me and your dad is going to miss his bud. Your little sister is going to wear your clothes and your little brother will miss arguing with you just for fun. You’ll cry when you hug them goodbye and the framed picture on your desk will have to suffice while you go weeks without seeing them. So spend time with them, you’ll need this as much as they will.

Spend time around your town. You’ve been here for years and you just can’t wait to get out- right? Think again. Yes, it’ll be great for a change of scenery. But it’ll also be scary. You’ll be thrown into the deep end- you’ve gotta find a new favorite place to eat, a new place to get your haircut, and you’ve gotta learn to navigate around a city that may be overwhelming. You’ll get the hang of it and I’m sure you’ll love your new home, but you’ll also miss the familiar faces, knowing the ways around rush hour traffic, and local restaurants with the best food in town. Spend time this summer at your favorite places and even a new place or two, just to appreciate the place you’re leaving.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but appreciation grows when you’re present. Live in the now and love where you are.