Do you remember 2017 when VSCO was all the rage and everyone was making summer bucket lists? They were cute, colorful lists made together with friends, using big markers and little doodles of sunshine, ice cream and waves.
For many of us now in college, that was when summers really were a break, before we had to take on internships and 40-hour work weeks to save up for tuition.
The past two summers have been a little rough for me. Going back to my small hometown without any of my friends to work jobs that I haven’t particularly enjoyed wasn’t exactly the greatest way to spend my favorite season.
As college students, most of us try to work as much as possible in the summer to save up for the school year. The summers before and after my freshman year, I waitressed at a little tavern near my hometown. Last summer, I worked for a YMCA summer camp at home.
This summer, my plan is to stay in State College, substitute teach in May, and hopefully work for SCASD’s summer camp from June-August. I have high hopes for my summer in my college town. If nothing else, I’ll have so much more to do in terms of restaurants, activities, parks and places to visit.
Looking back on the past two summers, my priority was working as much as possible to save up as much as I could before the start of the fall semester. I worked and read books, but that was really all I did most weeks. I never got a chance to really enjoy my summer, since I was too busy focusing on all the tasks I had to do.
This year, I want to make a change. This summer, I want to prioritize making time for fun.
I want to try different coffee shops and ice cream places, go to concerts and music festivals, go on hikes, bike, kayak, read at least ten books on my TBR, try new recipes, take weekend trips to cities and more.
Since this will be my first summer as a 21-year-old, I want to visit all the Penn State bars. I want to sit outside eating Cafe fries on a warm day, sing at Gaffeoke, play arcade games at Champs and dance in the Basement.
It’s important to remember that although earning money is important, our mental health is important too. Summer break is there for a reason: you deserve a break.
Make the time to relax, especially if you’re working and taking summer classes at the same time, like I will be.
For this summer, I say we bring back summer bucket lists. Big bubble letters in yellow and pink marker, doodles of burgers, ice cream and waves, unrealistic goals, hopes and aspirations for a relaxing day on the beach.
Let’s romanticize the little summer moments like sunburns, freckles, the nap between going to the beach and heading to dinner, cute hairstyles, reading on the porch and the smell of sunscreen the way that we did in middle school.
Summer used to be so exciting. Do you remember the countdown on the whiteboard in your locker? Do you remember dressing up for the last day of school and celebrating break? We deserve to feel that excitement to relax again.
Bring back 2017 VSCO summer culture – it was fun! Take silly videos of campfires and the pool. Soak it all in and don’t worry about being “cringe” for liking what you like.
Make your bucket list and stick it on your closet door like Debby Ryan did in “Sixteen Candles.” Make unrealistic, fun goals and prioritize yourself this summer. This is your sign.