So Memorial Day weekend is over, meaning summer is basically here. We already have had record heat across New Jersey reaching into the higher 90s. Meaning swimsuits and tan lines.

The beaches are packed with people. Seniors have already attended their high school prom, and I’m about to start attending graduation parties for friends who are seniors. Blueberry season is coming up literally next week, meaning you’re about to see blueberries growing on bushes and all over the pine barrens in South Jersey. Fruit is getting cheaper, and I have already snagged and devoured my first (or second) bag of cherries. Mowing the lawn has already made me want to hibernate in the air conditioning.

Now with that in mind. I tend to notice a lot of articles saying, “how have an unforgettable summer” or “how to rock that summer internship” (or similar titles). I also just read an article about using sunscreen the right way.

First off, I have been using sunscreen for as long as I can remember and have never gotten sun poisoning or a terrible sunburn, and the article did not follow my steps in applying and reapplying sunscreen.

To be honest, it all depends on your skin for how much or how little or what SPF to use. There’s good advice out there for people to use sunscreen but it all just comes down to the person themselves.

Which is how I feel about those summer bucket lists or to do’s during the summer. I can count numerous amounts of summer bucket lists put out there for people to do after ending school. I personally don’t like some of them but it’s as if these articles are meant for people to follow word for word and do each number correct and efficiently. Kind of like a job.

I had a conversation with my boss a week or so ago, and he told me, “to take everything with a grain of salt.”

Meaning, these articles that try to enforce a bucket list are more for ideas rather than an actual list of things people “need” to do. Like with the sunscreen, it’s advice and it’s an article but it’s not something I need to do.

Like when college starts, it’s like, “You need to do this” to have a great college experience but the truth is, a great college experience is not based off of someone else’s college experience it’s based off of what you like and don’t like. So if you don’t like to party and drink, then don’t do it because it’s the “college experience.” If you don’t want to play sport because you suck at it, don’t force yourself into playing soccer if you’re going to despise waking up every morning and doing so.

The other day my friend and I went hiking at Smithville park which is close to our home and as we were driving there, a snapping turtle was just chilling in the middle of the road. He seemed tired as hell from the pounding sun and didn’t want to move and we didn’t know what to do except park and run over with a stick to try and get the turtle to cross the other side. Cars and buses kept passing by and were watching us poke a stick at the turtle. Eventually, this guy then pulled over and found a bucket on the lawn and shoved the turtle into the huge white bucket (the turtle was pissed and kept snapping its head in our direction while biting the air), but either way, we were able to get it safely across the road.

This will probably be one of the best moments of my summer, and it wasn’t on some bucket list. It happened by chance that my friend and I were able to help save a turtle’s life.

So my advice to you this summer, is to not take these advice articles so literally. Take everything with a grain of salt and just sit back and listen to music and talk with your friends. You won’t realize how amazing your summer will be if you’re caught up in crossing things off a list. It’ll stress you out, and it won’t be as enjoyable.

And listen, I totally get the whole not having enough money because I'm broke too but like I said, take everything with a grain salt because they're advice columns and just because you haven't done all of them doesn't mean you're slacking.

Of course, if you want to take some ideas no one’s stopping you, like I am dying to go white water rafting, but if it doesn’t happen that doesn’t mean I won’t have a great summer.

So pack on that sunscreen, lay back, and enjoy the sun. Eat some delicious blueberries while you’re at it, you never know what kind of memories you’ll make without forcing it.