Every summer since I was a freshman in high school, I’ve made a summer bucket list for myself. A lengthy list of adventurous, silly, exciting things I wanted to complete over the summer. The list wasn’t usually all completed, but it definitely made for some fun nights with my best friends and it always had great ideas when boredom began to overcome sleepovers. However, after I came home from my first year of college, I realized I wanted something a little different for my summer. This first year was mostly spend on adjusting to college life and making that place my home, there wasn’t a lot of time to specifically focus on how I wanted to grow, myself. As many say, your college years are your selfish years, so in honor of summer being a stress free time, doing whatever your heart desires, I’ve created a selfish summer bucket list, with hopes of growing more into the person I want to be, and spending some time focusing on myself.

1. Do what you want, not what anyone else wants you to do. This is your summer, if you’d rather lay on the couch and watch movies with your mom instead of go to that party, DO IT!

2. Spend some time by yourself, learning how to be alone is something that is very valuable.

3. Go to the gym as often as you’d like, it keeps you energized and often makes you feel better, but don’t overdo it.

4. Work on becoming one hundred percent comfortable in your own skin, you’re going to be stuck in it for awhile.

5. Stop using negative words to describe people, even if they’re complete strangers. You wouldn’t want someone looking at you and saying that, people deserve more than that.

6. Keep God at the top of your life, always.

7. Spend a lot of time with your family, they are the most important people in your life.

8. Take some long evening drives while the sun is setting, turn your music up, have a personal concert, all by yourself.

9. Go shopping all by yourself, I promise it’s actually really enjoyable.

10. Stop making excuses to not do things you want to do.

11. Don’t apologize if you’re not sorry. Don’t apologize just to get rid of some awkward tension.

12. Don’t feel sorry for being motivated to go after you want, go after it and don’t look back.

13. Cook all those healthy foods you’ve been meaning to try, now’s your time!

14. Cut out all toxic relationships in your life. You’re at the age where you get to decide who you want to keep in your life and who you don’t, if someone isn’t benefitting you positively in any way, cut your ties.

15. Create your own life priorities, regardless of what anyone else thinks. This summer for me, my life priority is myself.

16. Don’t feel sorry for wanting to just spend a night alone.

17. TREAT YO SELF.

18. Say no if you want to.

19. Destroy your ideas of what you think is “perfect” and strive to be perfect you.

20. Make maintaining your relationship with God a priority, even if it means going to church alone sometimes.

21. Follow your dreams and don’t feel bad about it.

22. Put your phone away, break the bond with it, life is so much better when you’re not glued to your phone.

23. Set measurable goals for yourself, and strive to achieve them.

24. Be kind to everyone you meet, regardless.

25. Smile as much and as often as you can.

26. Give.

27. Assure that the people close to you know how much you care about them and how important they are to you

28. Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do, whatever it may be.

29. Go get some ice cream just because you can.

30. Create a positive self-image of yourself, you’re beautiful I promise.

31. Always know that you are so loved by so many.