It’s that beautiful time of year again. The air is getting warmer, the days are growing longer and school is almost over. Summer is right around the corner. I can taste the salty beach air and sweet ice cream a little bit more every time the sun rises. There are endless possibilities that accompany summer and I cannot wait for that special time of the year to begin. Honestly, the only thing that helped me power through finals was the fact that summer vacation followed them. It was the light at the end of the dark and twisty tunnel.

There is no other time of the year that is as peaceful, relaxing, bright and positive as summertime is. There is so much to look forward to during this time of year, but I am just going to list a few things.

1. The weather is gorgeous.

Whether or not it is 85 and sunny during the day or 65 and windy at night, every single type of weather is amazing. Besides the humidity, there is no reason to complain about the weather outside during the summertime.

2. You can dance in the rain without worrying about hypothermia.

There is nothing that I love more than thunderstorms and rain, except thunderstorms and rain during the summer. I love to dance in the rain, however I also love not having pneumonia. So you could say that it kind of works out for me when it rains in the summer, and I can dance in the rain in a bathing suit without having to worry about becoming sick! Woo-hoo!

3. Endless adventures you and others can go on.

You can go kayaking, hike some mountains, take a trip to the beach, go on a road trip, etc. There is so many viable hours during a summer day and so many wonderful things you can do that you must go out there and get started right away! Don't waste on second just sitting around watching Netflix. Get out and experience life while you can and while the days are still long and you have all the free time in the world.

4. Ice cream.

Need I say more?

5. Being able to go to the beach.

There’s this saying that the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea. I definitely believe that the tide washes away all of your worries and sorrow. Some people love the beach, and some people hate the beach. It is all about mentality. You see sand that can get in your bikini bottoms and give you a rash-- I see the opportunity to build a gigantic, awesome sand castle. Perspective is key.

6. And for those of you who are blessed with these genes-- being able to tan!

I like my skin. I don’t like being pale as can be. I am so thankful I am able to tan in the summer-- but I do feel bad for you Snow White-skinned ghosts whose skin burns, like a vampire’s, as soon as it is exposed in the sun. So maybe this is something only a selective few can look forward to? Yea.

7. No school.

I love learning, love school, go education, woo! However, I also like my brain not being fried and being able to form a sentence without having a complete meltdown because of the lack of sleep that I’ve received and the amount of studying I have to do on top of the billion other priorities in my life I’ve had to juggle for the past 8 months. So yes, I enjoy not having school for 3 months, and I’m pretty sure every other individual in any level of the education system does too.

8. Swimming!

Oh my gosh I love swimming. Well--not actually swimming. It’s more like moving around a little to stay afloat so I don’t drown and die. I don’t swim I just bobble around. Maybe most of you will agree with me when I say that I love when it’s that time of year where you can go to the ocean or your pool opens and all of a sudden you transform from a normal mammal to this majestic aquatic animal. I swear my DNA changes as the summer rolls around.

9. Summer nights

It’s impossible to not absolutely love summer nights. The air is just beginning to cool down, so it is warm but comfortable enough to wear a sweatshirt and shorts. The lighting is so soothing to your eyes, because it is late but still light out. It’s the perfect time to start a bon fire and toast up some s’mores with friends or start up a game of man hunt with the neighborhood kids. There’s so much you can do during a summer night, because it technically isn’t nighttime yet--I can’t wait.

Just writing down a few of the things that we all can look forward to as summertime comes around is making me so anxious! I hope you all keep these things in mind so you have something to look forward to as you’re finishing school up or waiting for your job to end for the summer. Keep working hard, because summertime is so close I can smell it.