It's that time of year where the sun is getting hotter, the nights are getting longer, and ice cream begins to melt faster than Usain Bolt; otherwise known as summertime. Summer used to be the time where your friends that you saw every day during school became your everyday plans, creating new laughs and memories at the same time. This season used to be one of my favorites, with no school being the number one reason. But now, as a college student, I find myself thinking that no school is the reason I want summer to end so quickly.
When you're in high school, keeping friendships are easy. Since you see them every day of your life during the five-day school week, it was easy to keep in touch and never miss a beat on each other's lives. However, once you leave after your first year, or semester even, keeping friendships is a lot harder than you may think. It's tough to keep in good contact when some of your best friends live two or three states away. Obviously, cell phones have helped close the gap on this, but college student summers are far from easy.
See, once summer hits, the fun of school and practically living with your best friends comes to a halt. Instead, bring on the forty-plus hour work weeks, endless internships and volunteer opportunities, as well as trying to fit not only your hometown friends but also your college friends, into your schedule. Work becomes the constant in most college students' lives in order to be able to pay for their expenses while at school. This creates a whole new stigma for college students, as many transition the fun, happy summer memories, to more of a hardworking one.
Summer has been fun so far, but I also miss my second home. College really has been the place I've wanted to be since I cried and unpacked (most) of my boxes. I am truly happy that I know I have found the college I want to spend the next three years at, but I also miss being there more than anything. I miss the people I've met along with the atmosphere of the campus, and even the long and hard softball workouts. True, summer is still a time where I can enjoy my time off from the curriculum of classes, but it still does not compare to the new experience I had this past year.
As you get older, the crazy ideas and long nights of summer begin to fade away, and the reality of becoming a full-fledged member of society, or an adult, begin to settle in. Summer has become more about being a diligent worker and preparation for the beginning of a real professional career, rather than being reckless. Although being carefree and reckless would be something to indulge in, I am both really excited that my future is so close, but also petrified. All I can do now is make the most of the free time I have to enjoy my last few summers as a teenager and young adult. I miss the old summer, but I am ready to take on its new form with flying colors.
