Picture this: it's a warm summer night. You're in the front seat of a beat-up car, the windows are down and the breeze is ruffling your hair. The speakers are blaring one of your favorite songs and you sing along as loud as you possibly can. You feel content.

All is well.

To me, that sounds like the perfect night, and for more times than I count, it has been a reality. Since my friends and I have reached the age where we were able to drive, a lack of funds and boredom has led to us doing the only thing we could think of: spending hours driving around our hometown. We would put on songs we loved and sing along while the surroundings we'd known our whole lives blurred around us. Hours would be spent talking endlessly about everything and nothing. My most important bonds have been made during these adventures, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

It is the friendships I've made during these late-night rides that make them so vital to a great summer. You can truly learn so much about not only other people but yourself by dedicating hours of non-stop being in the moment. These drives pull you away from your phone and force you to live in the moment.

Let's be real, this probably isn't ideal for people who are "real" adults and have "responsibilities" and "lives." But, for someone like me and my friends, it's perfect. We'll only be this young and careless once, so why not seize the opportunity to do what we want while we can?

I am thankful to be able to even have the time or ability to have these experiences with my friends, and they're incredibly important to me. When it comes to enjoying summer break, late-night drives are the only way to go.