During the academic year, I dreamed of summer lethargy. College is a pressure-cooker, my friends. Even when you're chilling with friends on Friday night, watching a movie or getting ready for a party, you can't shake the pressure. In a college environment, everyone understands that, at any given moment, you could (and maybe should) be working towards an impending due date.

Some adult jobs allow workers to differentiate between their personal lives and their work lives. College responsibilities unapologetically consume both. Perhaps it's for the best, because college life is often considered a young person's induction to independence... and young people do need to learn about independence on every front, from the workplace to the home; why not combine those things to create the ultimate double whammy?

The thing is that summer vacation follows spring semester's finals. And while I needed to longingly imagine summer during March, April, and the first weeks of May, I did not truly imagine anything but the beach. So I didn't imagine the transition.

Honestly, the process of settling into summer feels... weird.

I don't want to complain about it, because having a long summer (from mid-May to the end of August?!) is an incredible opportunity. I have an internship at a local law office, and I'm building a tutoring/summer enrichment business with my brother. I have fun times with my family and my OG high school squad. I have enough time to sleep and read books, because I don't have papers or problem sets due! The point of this article isn't to complain... It's to discuss the transition between two different lifestyles.

During spring semester, we had so much to get done each day that we did not have the freedom to ask ourselves, "What will I do today?"

During the summer, there are many days when we ask ourselves, "What will I do today?" However, we have almost forgotten how to answer that question.

People like me share a home with family members that work tirelessly on school projects, plays, fundraisers, sports, bills, and more. We feel the dauntingly magnetic pull of responsibility nearby... but it isn't calling us anymore. This sounds like an exaggeration, but I feel like a ghost carelessly floating around and sensing the stressed-out vibes.

It's important to recognize your personal worth outside of "accomplishments." Despite the apparent implications of our quick-paced, money-driven society, I am a real person whether I'm contributing actively to the system or not. And so are you! So... I know... It's OK to chill out and read a book. It's even beneficial and fun!

However, my personality wants to go, go, go, and when it comes to rest, rest, rest, I have a hard time adjusting. It's been three-plus weeks of summer vacation, and I still struggle to feel like I belong outside the pressure cooker. But my siblings' summer vacation starts next week, and I'm sure it will be easier when we're all on the same page.

As the yearbook signatures used to say... Have a great summer, and keep in touch!

Love,

Jaime