We can all admit that college towns are amazing. Not only are you away from parental supervision, but you can also find pizza for a dollar any day of the week. You're surrounded with great friends in a town that caters to college students. However, once the summer comes along, the atmosphere completely changes.
Most people leave for the summer.
Near the end of the spring semester, I started anticipating the arrival of summer. As I studied for finals, I promised to reward myself with a lively and adventurous summer with my girls. I imagined days on the lake and nights on the town. I could hardly contain by excitement. Once summer arrived, I found my friends leaving town one by one.
Responsibilities actually exist in the summer.
Most college students work and/or take classes during the summer in an attempt to be a productive member of society. The few friends I had left in Florence were too busy working or taking classes to spend time with me during the day. I too found myself babysitting all day instead of laying poolside with my friends. I sadly watched Snapchat stories of those on vacation while I worked all day. Being responsible in lieu of having fun isn't the most exciting choice but it pays off in the end (literally).
You find a new summer crew.
While your friends are back home having what seems to be the time of their life with high school friends, you are left in total exile. There seems to be no one in this town besides you. But soon you figure out there are people who actually live in this ghost town. They may not be who you normally hang out with, but a friendship unfolds. Since they feel your pain, they themselves are looking for someone to hangout with. Living in a college town during the summer opens doors for new friendships to emerge. You get to meet new people, which is great. Your new friends are great and know how to have a good time. You wonder where they've been hiding your whole life.
Nightlife lacks in the summer.
Going out on the weekend is on most college students' itineraries. It's great to go to a bar and be able to see your friends and classmates. However, during the summer, the nightlife changes. Instead of a a bar filled with college students celebrating the end of a week, you'll find a bar with nothing but cobwebs and tumbleweeds. Okay, it's not really that bad. The nightlife does have fewer participants than normal. Anytime I have attempted to go to the bar this summer, it has been a failure. Instead, me and my friends give up and head home to devour enormous amounts of pizza.
Netflix becomes your best friend.
After my many failed attempts to make this summer an adventure, I have admitted my defeat. I have found that while a summer bucket list is great, challenging myself to watch as much Netflix as possible is also an admirable goal. After all, the new Orange is the New Black season isn't going to watch itself. Maybe a chill summer is just as good as an exciting one.
Although you have come to enjoy your college town in the summer, you can't wait until your friends come back to begin another semester full of escapades.
