It just hit me the other day that in one year, I will be graduating college. Graduating, as in I’m done with school. Forever.
OK, maybe not forever - because there’s always the possibility that I may go to graduate school or pursue another degree. But as of right now, that isn’t on my list of things to do in the future. And within this one year, I have one last “real” summer left. If you’re graduating next year too, then this is also your last summer before you’re a real adult. How sad.
Growing up, summer was always the greatest because it was a blessed relief from all the tests, math homework, waking up early, classmates that you were sick of, etc. You saw your friends for more than a few seconds when passing each other in the hallway, and actually did things together without the problem of being busy. There were lazy days spent in your pajamas, waking up so many hours later than school started, struggling to find something to watch on daytime television and doing all the things you couldn’t do in school. Honestly, there were probably one too many days spent watching TLC on the couch.
As time ticked on, we got jobs because we had things to pay for, like all of senior year of high school. And then we started doing internship things, doing research and choosing to stay at school in the summer when we entered college. But still, you've always had time for Netflix and you’ve always made time to go the beach at least a few times, no matter what you were doing. And maybe your family ventured on a family vacation because when you really need one in February, you can’t just leave. There’s too much work that if you miss a week, you’re basically behind a month.
And now, all of that is coming to an end. No matter what you’re doing this summer, an internship, a job, whatever - make this summer one to remember. Because this time next year, you’ll be looking for a job or luckily have already landed one. So stay up late, go on a road trip with your friends, go to concerts, live at the beach. Eat cheerios at two in the morning watching reruns of your favorite TV show and cry because you can. See all of your friends as much as you can, especially if you guys go to school a significant distance away from each other. Make a firepit and have deep conversations while drinking beer.
Enjoy one last “childhood” summer. Before you know it, you’ll be sitting back in that lecture hall looking at the syllabus your professor handed out, and trying to figure out when on earth you’re going to find time to write those papers with all the activities that you’ll be doing.
And when you’re all done the year, nothing is going to suck more than to look out the office window, see a beautiful June day and know that you could be at the beach. So make sure you have the memories of this summer to carry you through.
