1. Time spent at the beach.

As a kid, going to the beach meant spending the day in the water, playing with the sand and collecting seashells. I always tried to bury my younger brother or my mom in the sand, or tried to dig a whole all the way to China. Running into the ocean with my dad to swim, and then screaming and running out of the ocean whenever a big wave came was always a must. I walked along the water trying to find a sand dollar or a beautiful seashell. Days at the beach were few and far between, and I loved them, but not the sunburn I always got. I ended my days at the beach smelling of sunscreen and Aloe Vera with enough sand in my hair to build a castle.

As an adult, going to the beach is more about getting tan than playing in the sand. Waking up early to drive down and beat traffic usually causes everyone to knock out about an hour into the beach trip. Most of the time is spent laying out in the sun just trying to relax. Lighthearted books and magazines are the usual reading material, and upbeat Top 40 and laughter make up the soundtrack of the day. Although I love relaxing at the beach, reading and attempting not to get sunburn usually interfere with my zen. I long for the days of playing in the water for hours and trying to bury my brother in the sand.

2. Daytime activities.

As a kid, days were spent playing games and going to pools. My friends and I pool-hopped around the block to each of their pools, played games like Marco Polo, and had diving contests. We chased after the ice cream trucks and hunted down fireflies. I spent every summer for 10 years at the same camp, and every day was a whirlwind of different activities and unforgettable memories. I don’t remember any day spent indoors as a kid. If the sun was out, so was I. I rode my bike, I learned how to shoot baskets, I raced my friends to the park and tried to see who could go higher on the swings. My curfew was the setting sun and the feeling of mosquito bites.

As an adult, summer days are now spent shuttling between jobs and trying to squeeze everything I can into the four months of summer. Anytime I have a chance to sleep or rest, I try to grab it; but on the other hand, there's so much I want to do before school starts in September that spending my summer watching TV is silly. So I try to squeeze in as many activities as I can between two jobs and an internship, where there are no days off. Between that and trying to achieve my own personal summer goals, it's hard to take a moment to sit back and relax.

3. Summer mood.

I don’t think I was ever happier as a kid than when the final bell rang at school, and I was free for three glorious months. I woke up early every day, trying to do as much as I could. I spent every day laughing with my friends, and there was never a dull moment. Spending every summer carefree and happy was all I looked forward to during the dreary winter months.

Summer can be just as stressful to college students as it is during the school year. Between squeezing in multiple jobs and summer classes, as well as trying to find a job or an internship, the stress can keep piling up. It's hard to squeeze in as much work as possible, while also trying to have some free time and relax. From working countless hours between jobs, and trying to do school papers and projects, free time is spare. It's hard to relax when all you do is work, and taking a day off means a day without pay when you really need the money.

4. Seeing friends.

As a kid, summer days meant spending every day with my friends. Being enrolled at a camp meant I would spend eight weeks of the year doing crazy activities with my friends. After camp ended for the day, or week, I could even play with my friends at home. The summer was non-stop fun with friends. Every single day was something new and exciting, we didn't have to do anything crazy. Just being around my friends was good enough.

As an adult, trying to gather a group of friends into one place can be hard due to conflicting work schedules. It's hard to figure out plans when some friends work all night, and other friends work all day, and other friends have schedules that change weekly and won’t know when they’re free until three days before. Trying to make plans has to fit around everyone’s work schedule, so hanging out with friends is usually going to the 24-hour Starbucks once everyone is out of work at 10 p.m. when everything else is closed.

5. Bonfire nights.

Nothing tastes better than a freshly made s’more. Gooey marshmallow, and melty chocolate perfectly sandwiched between graham crackers should be the official meal of summer. From telling ghost stories, to telling old embarrassing stories, bonfires are the perfect way to relax and laugh with friends. Ages young and old enjoy a good bonfire, it's the perfect way to destress after a long week of work, or to just sit back and eat a few s’mores. Nothing is better than a summer night with the warmth of a warm fire and the sound of laughter echoing through the air.