Growing up, I used to always be excited about the thought of going on summer vacation. From the sound of the final school bell to being able to feel the hot summer air against my skin, I was more than thrilled to no longer have to deal with classes and to finally have some time to relax. Whether it was reading the latest book or catching up on some TV shows, it was nice to feel as though I had no responsibilities and that the world around me was somewhat at a halt because I didn't have to go to school. From going on family vacations to concerts and, of course, the beach, many of the summers in my life have brought positive memories that I will continue to cherish for many years to come. Now, as my life has drastically changed, so have my thoughts on the season of summer.

As I have gotten older, my excitement for summer slowly has begun to fade away, which surprised me. It seemed as though one day I was thrilled to enjoy typical summertime activities and prepare to celebrate my birthday, while the next day I wasn't. At this point, I knew I needed to figure out why I no longer felt excited. Was it because I was able to fully acknowledge the complications surrounding adulthood and all of the responsibilities I'm starting to have? Was it because summer is normally less exciting to people as they got older? Or was it because of something entirely different? After much speculation about my anxiety over my fleeting interest in the summertime as well as my teenage years, I began to understand where these feelings of discontent were stemming from.

Summer has become that time of the year when I'm constantly asked a question that I typically dread hearing: "So what are your plans for the summer?" With the season being halfway over, I feel as though I haven't accomplished that much in the summer, causing me to feel some sort of pressure to have the most exciting summer of my life so far. From social media posts made by popular influencers to conversations with friends where they name all the places they've been able to go to, it's easy to feel left out if your summer doesn't seem to be as exciting.

While making a ton of plans for the summer did initially seem to be extremely important, I've started to realize that I don't need to go on extravagant vacations or go to the beach every day (well, down the shore if you're a New Jersey native like me) to have a great summer. Summer is about making meaningful memories with the people you care about by doing the little things, like walking around town or even going to a friend's house and watching TV. It's during these seemingly little moments in life that we really get to know and cherish those around us and the time we get to spend with them.