Falling in love in the summer is something special. We have too much sunburn on our cheeks, sand between our toes and sunsets that turn into sun rises. I don’t know about you but I couldn’t image any other time to fall in love. Like the song goes “summer lovin’ happened so fast, I met a boy cute as can be.” And so the story goes Sandy and Danny fall in love and live happily ever after, but this is not how this story goes.

My summer lovin’ is being home with too much sunburn on my cheeks, sand between my toes and sunsets that turn into sunrises with the ones I’ve waited nine months to see. I have fallen completely in love with this summer and it has just begun.

The sun and I started off with great relationship during that 85 degree day without a cloud in the sky. I decided to venture out to Lake Michigan for a beach day. I promise I was wearing sun screen everywhere but my legs; however, when I got home I was as red as a firetruck. When I could not sleep for three days because my skin was on fire, the sun and my relationship was ruined. I told the sun it needs to stop being so hot and leading me on to be in its presence for multiple hours. I’m sure most of you are aware of this, but the sun is one stubborn son-of-a-gun and didn’t listen to me. I have since been burned by the sun about seven more times since my firetruck experience. There is just something about that hot sun that I can’t get enough of.

Cheers to all of my friends that appreciate the summer sun just as much as I do — this part’s for you.

Imagine the cool sand between your toes and cool lake water on your skin. The lake should be a part of the Seven Wonders of the World because in all honesty the only time that it's really fun is when it’s summer. I can’t imagine a summer without venturing out to Lake Michigan at least once a summer. The best part about summer is having your friends there to adventure with.

I believe whole heartedly falling in love with summer starts with a solid foundation of great friends.

In high school, I never fell in love with summer because I was in love with softball. Every weekend I was in a different city playing about 10 games. I decided not to play summer travel softball because I needed something new and shiny in my life. I got a dream internship in the career field I want to go into. I traveled to only place I’ve ever wanted to go to — Paris. I was falling in love summer, sadly; that magical summer came to an abrupt halt when I moved my life to Iowa for nine months. School was an experience but I can’t say I wasn’t excited to come home and begin an epic summer.

Though the sun and I have had some trouble getting along, this summer has be the greatest summer thus far. I think I have really grown to appreciate the things I can do at home that I wasn’t able to accomplish at school. I’ve grown to cherish my friendships; not seeing the ones I’ve grown up with for months changed my life. My friends are the ones that make falling in love with summer so much better.

I don’t want this love to end “but, oh, those summer nights” must come to an end. My summer dreams will not be ripped at the seams but sewn into memories forever. This summer has barely scratched the surface but it was love at first sight.