Ahhh summer...the time of the year when mostly everybody we do and don't know go somewhere that almost seems magical to us "peasants". Jamaica, The Bahamas, Florida, New York, maybe even Cleveland, if you're that inventive and imaginative.
I remember the most extensive family vacation I ever took over the summer was when my family went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee down to the Smoky Mountains Every year, my family would plan this massive camping trip up to Devil's Lake State Park. Sure it wasn't to any exotic islands, but it was quality family-time well spent. That's something that should be cherished, especially as we all grow up. There are people graduating this weekend, next weekend, and probably the weekend after that. With graduation comes the term of "adulting". People move on with their lives, they have to travel for jobs sometimes, and life will sometimes take these people across the country with it. As the adulting happens, summer suddenly turns into a whole different type of season including jobs, getting your life together a little more in hopes for the next year or for your career, rehearsals for summer productions, and even schoolwork, since summer school actually is a thing.
You start to learn that as you grow up, summer vacations barely existent anymore. Even if you're on a vacation of some sort, you know your work will feel the need to contact you for some sort of favor. For all of you younger people who might be reading this article, I am asking you to fully appreciate those legitimate vacations you're blessed with, from all of us oldies with actual adult lives. Appreciate the freedom of summer to play sports and hang out with friends, because once you get to college, your summers will be filled with finding jobs and figuring out how you're going to pay for your rent over the next school year. Go camping and spend that family time while your family is still close to you. Don't wait until your family members are across the country to plan some sort of fun ole camping trip.
After your last day of school, walk home with your friends without a care in the world. Stop to get some cheap ice cream from a gas station on your way back, because you saved enough of your weekly allowance for this occasion, instead of spending it on booze in college. Go see those summer blockbusters you've been dying to finally see, because you have that time available to you. You have your entire life to plan job interviews and other boring adult things when you get older, so get outside and appreciate your actual summer vacation, from a junior in college to you younger folks.
