In the age of the social media takeover, it is hard to get up and go to work when you know your friends are out in their pools and soaking in the sun day after day from nine to five. Whether it’s a summer job for a few weeks in between class sessions, an internship getting you closer to your “adult job” or actual summer classes that keep you inside all day, you can’t help but feel jealous when you see everyone else enjoying the summer.

For nine months a year ,in cities that experience all of the seasons, people countdown the days until the best three months. Those best months are called summer. They are filled with fireworks and popsicles, swimming and biking, and chasing ice cream trucks down the block in flip flops and wet hair.

Inside your office walls, however, the lights are bright, but you don’t need sunglasses. The bottom of your shoes are wet, but that’s just because the guy in the desk across from your spilled coffee this morning and didn’t clean it all up before you walked through the company kitchen. I bet he probably left his K-cup in the Keurig, too.

Your friends are splashing in the waves along the lake with sun-kissed skin and beachy hair. They’re out in the water all day and only stopping to grill their lunch before they get back to lounging in the waves.

There’s a reason you’re working so hard while they’re soaking up all the sun. Just as they are making memories, you are, too.

You now know the best time to take a lunch break to avoid traffic coming out of the parking lot. You have perfectly timed your bathroom breaks so you don’t run into the copy guy who emphatically offers you the daily newspaper as he exits the men’s room next door. You know when the best time is to close the window shades so that the sun doesn’t blind your eyes as they stare at the computer screen for hours on end. Sure, your memories aren’t exactly what the others are experiencing, but they are memories.

Once college ends, you have similar things to look forward to, but you will have about two weeks of paid vacation to even it out. Right? Or maybe you should change your major and become a teacher. It’s probably not too late. Whatever you future plans may hold, keep pushing through; the best is still waiting for you, but in the meanwhile, make sure you make time for yourself.

Summer is the best time to relax and reflect. Read a good book, enjoy your friends, and make memories no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

Happy summer!