Summer is halfway over, and Instagram has been bumpin' with pictures, Boomerangs, and videos of my friends at the beach, lake, and friends' pools. As much as I would love to throw on my bikini and toss a towel, a good book, and my headphones into my bag and head to a body of water, I am completely landlocked this summer. This is also a summer where I am living on my own and experiencing the semi-adult life, which means I have limited resources in many areas.

The experience and the independence have been incredible so far, but there has been a void in my life. A void unable to be filled by Hulu TV marathons and trips to Starbucks. A void unable to be masked by trips to the mall or DQ. This void, my friends, is caused by my internal yearning for my top tastes of summer. My nostalgia and taste buds have been nagging me, but my location and situation have been shouting back, "No!" Let's hope I can taste at least one of these three iconic tastes before summer comes to an end.

1. Watermelon

I know it's summertime in my household once my mom starts lugging home giant watermelons from the grocery store to keep our fridge constantly stocked. I, unfortunately, do not have the motivation nor the proper cutlery to keep my own fridge stocked with freshly cut watermelon this summer.

2. S'mores

Nothing screams summer more than sitting by a bonfire and toasting some marshmallows. You'll get me even more excited if you throw me some grahams and chocolate! But, an electric stove and a lack of a fire pit have made it impossible to let flames engulf my marshmallow until it's burnt enough to put on my graham cracker. *sigh*

3. Lake water

That's right—some good ole Lake Michigan water. Summertime and going to the beach go hand in hand. For those of you who have the luxury of being by an ocean, I envy you only slightly. Us Midwesterners love our lakes, and diving under the freezing cold water and accidentally swallowing some of that green fishy lake water brings back so many memories.