There is no sugar-coating working the beautiful summer days and nights away; it sucks. Your bills may be taken care of and your bank account is very happy (well maybe not), but at the end of the day are you really happy? It’s horrible hearing about all these amazing stories about adventures and new restaurants your friends have tried the last few months, an experience that you were sadly not a part of. The endless amount of hours you worked may have been worth the paycheck (well up until you spent it), but what about the the priceless memories you just lost out on?

Now, whether or not this job you spent your time at during the summer is a job in a field you plan on being in for the rest of your life or if its just any job to make money, you've made tremendous leaps toward a future. Every single job is an opportunity, some bigger than others. Life is full of lessons and many of them are made while working. With this said, you could come to the belief that since you worked what seemed like your life away, all you did was actually learn more lessons. You probably don't even realize half the lessons you've learned through your job, it could be something simple such as how to deal with unhappy customers while keeping a smile on your face or even learning the exact worth of every dollar you earn.

You probably envy the lucky teenagers your age who don't have to work and still get things handed to them, trust me so am I. I know how it feels to watch people not having to pay for their car or even their car insurance, while you're working just to afford it. But just look at it this way, you have the ability to call something officially ‘yours’. Don’t you feel proud when your driving the car which you purchased alone, a car that is all yours. Working all these hours just means you don't have to shamelessly ask or in some cases beg your parents for money to go out and do something. When you get upset about missing out on all your friends adventures, first of all remember there is a such thing as cropping yourself into the photo! But also remember everything you have accomplished during the summer of working. In this process of working you have learned the meaning of responsibility. You've learned what true adulthood is like, don't worry your friends will catch up eventually and realize what responsibilities are like. It may not seem like it, but you are better off than your friends who are still being hand fed by parents. At the end of the summer, just remember that this is all part of the journey to your future success, you're just getting a head start! I know its cliche but I promise all the hours spent working will be worth it in the long run! Your future self and also your bank account will thank you later.