Dear Summer,

You have been so good. The many warm (usually too warm) days you've provided and the occasional rainy days were welcomed with open arms. You were a much needed break from school though, at times, I didn’t feel like I was getting much of a break. Between juggling multiple jobs, class and seeing friends and family you were sometimes more stressful than being away at school.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t miss you. I will miss the memories I made and the fun I had with coworkers, friends and family. I will miss the hot summer nights when I would be driving with the windows down and the music up. You are coming to a close, my friend, as school starts back.

School buses are back on the roads causing traffic problems (we’ve all been stuck behind a bus at least once this past week), kids are frantically getting last minute school supplies and college students are packing up to move back to campus. I have had mixed emotions toward summer ending. I almost wish school would wait, but at the same time, I’m ready to go back.

I’m ready to be back at campus with my friends. I miss going to class, going on spur of the moment runs to Walmart (that’s for you, Dad) or to McDonald’s for fries and a shake. Yes, college is stressful, but I am ready to go back. I’m ready for a challenge, for my teachers to push me to want to learn and to make mistakes. I miss the independence of living off on my own and my friends coming to visit on weekends from other campuses.

I love being at home with friends and family and attempting to relax, but it is time for you to come to a close, dear Summer. I’m ready to get back to my mountain town in Dahlonega, to watch the sunset over the mountain view every night while I’m up for hours on end doing homework. Now yes, while I say I am ready for school to begin, I am still holding on to those final moments of summer.

I have a little over a week before I move back to campus and nothing has been packed yet. I am dreading my last day at work where I have to say goodbye to my coworkers I love so much. The summer nights feel shorter and shorter as the days begin counting down. Pretty soon the summer nights will turn cold, and the days will be shorter as we go about our busy lives as students trying to juggle multiple things at once.

But I will remember you, Summer of 2016. While I start my second year of college, I will look back at my first summer home from school and know it was a good one. It was a summer well spent, and while I wish I had more time, I will see you next year in 2017.

Thank you, Summer.