It's that time of year again. The time of year when students everywhere trade their beach days for school days and start a new year. As I personally prepare to begin my junior year at LIU Post this upcoming Wednesday, and my friends at other schools have already been in session for a week, I couldn't help but spend some time reflecting on what these past four months have been like.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have a summer vacation that spans four entire months, the longest out of any of my friends who go to other schools, and while reflecting on my summer I realized how thankful I am for summer itself. It's been my favorite time of year for as long as I can remember, but it takes on a whole new meaning as a college student.

I work myself practically to the bone during the year, spend way too much time sleep deprived, and deal with more stress than I know what to do with. Of course I love my major, the people that surround me in my department, and all of this will be worth it once I'm doing what I love for the rest of my life, but all of those things made me realize the true value of summer. They made me appreciate summer so much more because I truly treasure the time I'm able to spend in a relaxed state of mind with no deadlines looming over my head.

My summer was great. I was the most relaxed and calm I'd been in almost a year, and that itself was a treat for me. I spent as many days as I could outside soaking up the sun and adding some color to my insanely pale skin, joined my camp family for another summer at my summer home, saw some friends, spent lots of quality time with my family, and went on some awesome adventures.

Although I wish I had gotten to the beach more frequently and been able to see more of my friends, this summer will definitely be remembered as very enjoyable from end to end.

So, as I get ready to go back to school in a few days, I just need to say thank you to Summer 2016. Thank you for allowing me to relax and have a break from the stress of college. Thank you for bringing me back to my summer home with my camp family and for allowing me to spend time with friends and family. Thank you for the adventures I took part in that helped to expand my horizons and thank you for the endless amount of sunny days. It's been a wonderful four months. Now let's go show junior year who's boss!