It’s the start of August and I’m already getting nostalgic for the hot weather and cold drinks that will soon be coming to an end. However, as I sit and reminisce about the past few months, it feels like there has been something missing. This has been my first summer away from home since I started college and, don’t get me wrong, while NYC has treated me well these past few months and I’ve had some awesome experiences and created new memories, I’ve come to realize that there really is no place like home for the summer…at least where I come from.

Here are eight reasons why you just can't beat an Indiana summer:

1. Friends.

Coming back to your hometown for the summer is like a giant reunion when you live in a small town in the Midwest. Not only do you get to run around your old streets causing trouble with your BFFs who are also on college break, but you get to see a bunch of old classmates and friends out in public and at parties that you haven't talked to in forever. Even if you aren't fond of some of your old acquaintances, it still feels nice after you've been gone for the semester to get a little taste of familiarity.

2. Lake days.

If you’re from Florida or somewhere else down South, you might refer to them as beach days. But, where I come from in Indiana, there’s nothing quite like making the 30-minute drive to Lake Freeman with your friends, blasting music with the windows down, and tubing all day until you can't feel your hands. Not to mention, ending the day out on the dock snacking on fresh fruits and veggies and sipping an ice-cold beverage...I mean how much better could life get?

3. Lawn seats.

Oh, how I've missed the infamous Klipsch, no wait Verizon, wait yes, Klipsch Music Center where you can get cheap(ish) tickets to go see Drake or Luke Bryan (but mostly just to party with all your townie friends). Most people from Indiana probably take this opportunity for granted like I did before I spent a summer in NYC. But, trust me, nothing in the city compares to the experience of tailgating in the parking lot before entering a crowded, grassy arena of people ready to sing and dance the night away.

4. Restaurants.

OK, so living in New York isn't half bad when it comes to the endless choices of restaurants within a five mile radius...who am I kidding? The food here is phenomenal. However, there are some times when I want freaky fast delivery on a #4 Turkey Tom, no tomatoes, add avocado (I used to work at Jimmy Johns. Try it.). Not to mention that Indiana restaurants don't usually break the bank, unlike most over-priced places to eat in NYC. And, if I'm getting even more specific, I miss my local Mexican restaurant, Pepe's, where I can fill up on their chips and salsa and homemade ranch and eat one taco for $2.13.

5. Bonfires.

One thing I miss most about summer in Indiana is gathering with a group of friends in someone's backyard or out in the country sitting around a fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. There's just something about sitting in a circle, surrounded by the people you love and have known forever, telling stories and laughing with one another that can't always be found anywhere else but home.

6. Country music.

Where I come from, it's cornbread and chicken. Where I come from, alotta front porch sittin'. Not everyone who is from Indiana loves country music, but it's something I miss most now that I live in the city. The best I get is turning on the Zac Brown Band Pandora station while I'm in the shower. But, let's face it, the best way to listen to country music is driving past Indiana cornfields with your head out the sunroof yelling along with Alan Jackson.

7. Fair Food.

Elephant ears, lemon shake-ups and walking tacos; I thought these were all universal treats, but I was sadly mistaken when I found out some people who didn't grow up in the Midwest had no clue what I was talking about. So maybe you don't go to the fair anymore because it's lame now that you're not 13, or the rides are sketchy or it smells like horse poop, but being that it's one of the more exciting attractions that comes to a small town in Indiana, you definitely go for the food; and it's one of a kind where I come from.

8. Sunsets.

Let's face it. NOTHING can beat an Indiana sunset. It may be stormy and 60 degrees one day and 90 degrees and humid the next, but when you catch a glimpse of that gorgeous Indiana sunset at the end of the day, you know you're home.