When we were younger, summers were carefree. School was out and we spent all our time outside. We went to the beach, played in a pool, went to water parks, and played some sports. But once we grew up, we had to make money for college or for building up our bank accounts.

The more independent we get, the more money we have to make, it seems. Bills. Responsibilities. Adulting.

When you get to be my age of 22, summer is about working, making money, finding big girl jobs, and loads more. Summers are now a tad stressful. While the summer is flying by and you're working your ass, you sometimes forget to have fun, or take care of yourself.

Experiences of mine are perfect for something like this. Dehydration; you forget to drink water while you're at camp or while you're running hot food to people in a hot restaurant. Headaches hurt more when you don't drink enough. Exhaustion; sleep is almost nonexistent. You may seem like you get enough sleep, but throughout the day while you're yawning mad hard, you realize that maybe you need more.

I'll admit that, right now, I am not in the best shape when it comes to self-care. I'm tired, I'm always in bed by 11 and up by 7, and I never feel like doing anything. I wake up, eat, work, eat more, sleep, and repeat. That's life.

But is it?

Yes, it is, but it doesn't always have to be that way. Life is so good, but it's also super short, so you must enjoy it. Summer is one of the few times you can do things outside and have fun with it. The kids are out of school, so you can take them to the pool or the beach.

You can sit outside at a restaurant and watch the sun go down while eating a fabulous meal. You can stay inside for the day and take a bath. Clean. Do something to impress your inner self. Get your nails done.

My favorite: Fall asleep on the beach (but DO NOT forget sunscreen).

See, at our age, summertime means work work work, but don't forget to work on yourself. It's important, and I can't stress that enough. You don't want to look back on your summer and say, "I wish I could have...", or "I should have done this."

You can always make money, but you can't always make memories. Work on yourself, make sure you're okay, and have some fun.