Because of media, we all have these cliché ideas of what summer consists of. Nice tan lines, wind and sand in our hair as we stroll down endless roads with the windows rolled down with good friends ... when in reality it turns into something different. But are we surprised?
20. Have a pen pal.
From experience, I can say it never goes as expected. I go into this thinking it’ll be a nice sort of "sisterhood of the traveling pants" connection, but then you don’t get a response for weeks and the conversations die out or by then you’ve already forgotten what you had told them.
19. Become a music sensation.
Okay, maybe we’re not the next Justin Bieber and be brought to sudden fame but we have all wanted to pick up a new musical talent. For those of you who don’t already know how to play instrument, admit it: we’ve all wanted to take some summer time to learn how to play guitar, even if it were online YouTube video lessons.
18. Get a summer tan.
First off, not wearing sunscreen is NOT COOL. But, we’ve all wanted to come back to school with a nice glowing tan that people will notice the change in our skin. Attempting this summer glow is mighty risky but if you’re going to do it, I’d recommend the tanning creams.
17. Learn to cook new dishes.
Summer means sitting at home watching television. For some of us, it means watching the cooking channel and having Bobby Flay explain to us the essence of a nice good meal.
16. Revisit old friends.
We usually feel like this is a great time to meet up with old friends. Sometimes it doesn’t work out because you realize that this entire time, they’ve been living life too, and have gained new friends or started working or go to summer school now. Plans on meeting up usually occur but cancelled last minute.
15. Travel somewhere unknown.
Finding somewhere great to go, but then realizing this costs money and maybe a little too much money than expected.
14. Get back into our hobbies.
Whether it’s DIY Pinterest crafts, making jewelry out of nice rocks or reading John Green books in a hammock, we’ve all thought summer is great for getting back into this action.
13. Getting into a NEW hobby.
If your old hobbies were pushed aside so that you can make room for new and better hobbies, get to it. It could help you discover who you are. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Annie Leibovitz.
12. Remodeling.
Time to get into remodeling your room or apartment to fit how you’ve wanted it to look this entire time.
11. Learn a new language.
Whether or not this pertains to you, admit it, we’ve been here before when we say “I’ll learn Spanish/French/Portuguese” but we never really get around to it.
10. Take a family hiking trip.
There’s always that ONE person who is totally against the idea of being outdoors. Thinking of hiking up a mountain with your family is one thing but getting it done together is much harder.
9. Summer romance.
Yes, we’ve all wanted that summer lovin’ that happened so fast ... but we can’t all be Sandy and Danny Zuko. However let’s be real, this only happens in movies. What are the odds of us meeting our future husband at our usual summer spots like the grocery store?
8. Be a tourist in your own city.
This idea is way cool, but then you realize there’s not much to do, and your city is way smaller than you thought it was. The coolest places are just parks.
7. Make a blog.
At some point we’ve wanted to begin a blog and have an eye for meaningful things. It’s your own electronic journal.
6. Camping in the woods.
Lying out in a tent under the stars sounds nothing but fun, but then you realize that with nature comes ... well, nature — bugs everywhere and no electricity.
5. Make new discoveries
Whether this is within yourself or with finding that the one park you always go to actually has an underground pathway leading to some crazy stuff.
4. Get a summer job.
We all say summer is when I’ll go out and find myself a job, something to get me going to save a little extra money but finding someone willing to hire you only for the summer is tougher than it sounds.
3. Bucket list crossing.
We all have a bucket list. Whether you’ve had the time to write it all out or not, we all have something we want to do before we reach a certain age. Summer is usually when we feel we have the freedom to do anything and everything.
2. Try something new.
Getting a rad new hairstyle, get a crazy tattoo that describes your personality, get a piercing, go to a new restaurant, try Mongolian food!
1. Getting that SUMMER BODY.
THIS IS THE MOST COMMON GOAL FOR SUMMER! If you say you’ve never told yourself you’re going to exercise and diet right over your break, you may be a liar.
In the end, do any of these things ever happen? It’s mid-summer already, and I’ve told myself THIS is what summer should definitely be like. Unfortunately, I’ve only done about four out of the 20 items mentioned.
This is me every summer, I make unrealistic goals for summer, but they never actually get accomplished. I end up laying in bed watching "The Simpsons" re-runs practically all day, until I begin to resemble Homer Simpson. All I can say is Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Whether it comes out the way you want it to or not just go for it. Live the rest of your summer the way you truly want to, even if none of the things you dreamed of doing gets done. If you have an impulse, do it. Your gut is telling you you won't regret it.
