Summertime has its way of burning you out after a while. Some of you are rolling your eyes at that thought. However, three months is a long time for almost zero productivity and days upon days of boredom. For some, they may be getting eager to actually start up classes again after such a long period of time with no schedule or structure. This summer, I thank my hobbies for occupying this otherwise unproductive time.
Thank you for helping the time pass, even if I didn't want it to.
At the beginning of every summer, I wanted the time to pass as slowly as possible. Burnt out off a long semester and school year, I didn't even want to have the thought of going back to classes run across my mind. However, as summer came to an end and I got wearier of my time. I'm so glad I had my favorite things to do to help the time pass. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way ecstatic to get back to the stresses of the real world, but I'm more than ready to make further progress in my education and finally have some routine.
Thank you for showing me I'm unique.
Spending time this summer practicing my favorite hobby, photography, has helped me learn so many things. (Imagine that, learning outside of school.) It helped me learn that even in the age of everyone being a "photographer," I can still be unique in my own style. I also learned to appreciate my photos for what they are and to criticize myself for the better. For this, I feel all that "wasting time" doing something I love has truly bettered me as a person as well.
Thank you for letting me make mistakes.
Ever since I began college, I've gotten so accustomed to making mistakes that I really surprise myself at times. If I were still in high school, I would have an awful time dealing with the mistakes I make now, regardless of what they are. In the past, with respect to my hobbies, I was always afraid to share them with others. I was always fearful of what others would say or think, but college has a funny way of making you unafraid of those comments. I'm so glad I am able to accept my mistakes more, especially when it comes to my hobbies.
Thank you for letting me see my improvements.
This is especially true for a newer hobby of mine, calligraphy. I started modern calligraphy about six months ago and became obsessed. I thought I was so good at first, but seeing my work compared to when I first began, there's a world of a difference. Same goes for photography as well. As I researched new techniques over the summer, I can already see a difference in my style. It's one of the best feelings seeing such an improvement over a short period of time. The unproductive feelings of summer don't seem so after all.
