In high school, I counted down the days to summer break all year and couldn’t wait to do absolutely nothing with my closest friends. Now, though, DePauw has tainted me. Sure, I’m excited to see my friends at home and rehash all the highlights of sophomore year, but I am dreading leaving DePauw with not nearly enough to do this summer to keep me as busy as I am in the bubble. It’s a blessing in disguise that we’ve been trained to always be on the move here, but I think I’ve forgotten how to do, well, nothing.
So what’s a collegiette internship-less and love struck for DePauw to do? Here are a few ideas, but let me just say, this is not your average summer bucket list. Swim, sleep, and “catch up on reading” all you want, but this is how I intend to make the next three months fly by!
Explore
Drive somewhere you’ve never been. Even if it’s just the next town over, get out of the well-worn paths of your hometown. Whenever I am on a road trip, I can’t help but notice the cheesy tourist billboards urging me to stop. So this summer, if I pass more than one billboard telling me what exit to get off at to try the famous “Foot High Pie,” you can bet I’ll pull off! Who knows if it’s the best in the county, but it’ll surely make for a good story. This requires spontaneity, so I hope a mind set like this will force me to go with the flow a bit more than I regularly do in my busy schedule at DPU. You’ve seen and done it all in your average suburb, so why not burst the bubble on predictable summers?
Craft Time #TSM
I never thought I was the artsy or crafty type, but sorority life and Pinterest have made me think differently. I’ve done so many crafts for my sorority this year, so it’s hard to stop! Cooler painting for my fraternity formal date took up a good amount of free time in the past few weeks—I figure I might as well keep practicing. Surely I’ll find summer items that need a little acrylic paint art.
I’m certainly no artist, but painting all these different gifts this year really relaxed me. The paint strokes are soothing, and I created things I didn’t think I was capable of. If I can make coolers and ladders, and puffy paint just about anything in the craft section, there’s got to be plenty of other crafts I can take on. Scrapbooking is often a go-to for my group of friends at home, but I say, push it to the next level. Refer to Pinterest for the most creative options! Decorations for you dorm room, for instance, will keep you thinking about college and soothe your “stress” all summer long.
Watch Movie Classics
Have you ever been part of a conversation where a line from a classic movie is dropped and you can’t laugh along? Or, you pretend you’ve seen “parts,” but forget the rest? Yeah, right. I am constantly being yelled at for not having seen classic movies, and frankly, I feel like I have deprived myself for too long! Clearly, there’s something I’ve been missing out on. So, I vow to watch as many must-see movies in my plentiful free time. Here’s a quick list I know I’m already required to watch according to my movie-connoisseur friends:
1. Animal House (a frat-classic that I think will make my fratting experiences that much more entertaining)
2. Casablanca (surprising, considering my hopeless romantic ways!)
3. The Godfather (Part II while I’m at it…)
4. The Artist (it did win Best Movie, after all)
5. Fight Club (though the first rule I hear about it is that I can’t talk about it…)
Seen them all? Check out this list for others: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top
Go to the concert of a band you’ve never heard of
I like to think I know good music, but I’ve come to realize I am pretty mainstream and cliché in my taste—I’ve worn out my favorite Taylor Swift and John Mayer tracks. Summer is the time to find some new favorites because it’s the season of concerts (outdoor, even better!). Last summer, Lollapalooza was an experience like none other, and I discovered so much good music simply by wandering up to stages. The heat, people-watching atmosphere, and hipster vibes left me intoxicated by some great indie music. Needless to say, the $200 you may spend on a 3-day pass is well worth the money.
Free concerts are a great option too! Grab a blanket, some bug spray, and snacks to enjoy some relaxing music under the stars; it may even be in your hometown! Sure, they’re no-names, but it’s an automatic planned night with some entertainment to boot. Before you know it, you’ll be the edgy collegiette with some serious musical knowledge. Start rocking out, ladies!
It’s no bubble life like the wonderful nine months we spend here at DePauw, but until Camp College rolls around, keep busy by pushing yourself to do new things. Enjoy the final weeks on campus, despite studying, and know you have plenty of relaxing and creative adventures ahead of you.