Ah, yes. It's finally here (or, at least, it feels like it's here!).

Summer.

Colleges and high schools alike are starting to look like ghost towns and the weather is warming up. The sun is appearing more and more often. The days are noticeably longer and our sleeves are becoming shorter and shorter. Our thoughts linger to long nights on a beach, around a fire, or the wild adventuring that calls our name. Yes, summer is coming, and we are ready.

We are ready to freely read on a blanket while bronzing our skin. We live for the smell of fresh cut grass and a cold cup of iced tea. Fishing, hiking, and other outdoor activities will occupy as much of our free time as possible. The world is waiting to be explored. We've been waiting for this opportunity.

Though summer only stays for a few months a year, we seek the promise of change. New beginnings light us with hope. We believe that we can do anything we desire. Something about the cool water against our skin and the stars in the sky illuminates us. Maybe it's the wine coolers that accompany us on our nightly adventures. Maybe it's the people who make us feel invincible. Or, maybe it's the youthful feeling that we wish could live within us forever. Regardless, this feeling matters, and we must cling on to it before it is too late.

Before this summer ends, we will promise ourselves a million things. Some of these promises will surely be broken. Others will stay, creating memories to last a lifetime. Remember this summer that it's all about you. You choose the boundaries. You create opportunity. Do not allow this summer to pass without achieving the dreams you want most.

These months will pass quickly before the leaves come again, and we will once again confine ourselves to the rhythm of life. Whether it is school, work, or other commitments, many will abandon their dreamer mentality in order to return to their scheduled life. Whether you prefer this cycle or despise its existance, you have the choice to make or break the months ahead.

This summer is yours. Go find it, my friends.