Summer vacation is nearly here—and that means it’s time to see old high school friends, go out in that gorgeous 70-degree sunshine, hit the beach, plan a roadtrip, craft endless smoothie recipes, or whatever else your heart and mind needs. You’re fresh out of school and you’ve got a whole three months of little to no responsibilities. So… with your car windows rolled down and your latest Spotify playlist blaring, you head off with your BFFs to the closest beach to post endless Snap stories, take the perfect Instagram summer kickoff picture, or to start recording memories to commemorate the best summer ever. But all these technology-infused summer plans mean that you focus less on the immediate moment and more on social media. While it is always worthwhile to capture the best memories you can, it’s also highly beneficial to live in the moment and embrace “the now”. Here are some surefire ways you can have fun even while disconnecting from technology this summer.
- Use Polaroids to take pictures instead of your phone.
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Polaroids have made a huge comeback in the last couple years with the return of all that is vintage. Polaroids are sleek and easy to carry around and you always get a tangible memory with every snapshot you take. Polaroids automatically put a gorgeous old-fashioned filter on your photograph so that you’ll always look good in the picture. College Dorm Tip: Clip a bunch of your polaroid photographs to a set of string lights and hang it up as decorations in your dorm room for a wall full of memories.
- Go for a walk.
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The point of summer weather is so that you can get out there and immerse yourself in the atmosphere. If the day is sunny and warm, put on some comfy clothes and take a walk. Stop to notice little things you might not have seen before. Use all your senses to imprint the memory of this walk into your brain.
- Gratitude journaling
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You’ve just finished a whole year of college! Take some time to sit in the summer sunshine, put pen to paper, and reflect on all the positives and things you are grateful for. You can even turn this into a letter to a best friend or a teacher or someone who has impacted you to further channel your gratitude.
- Watch a sunrise or a sunset.
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It is definitely tempting to pull out your phone and take pictures and videos of a beautiful sunrise or a fiery sunset. However, imagine how amazing it would be to just sit quietly and watch, storing the information with your own eyes. Sure, you will have lost the opportunity to have taken pictures, but in general, sunsets and sunrises will come again. The specific moment in which you sit to watch will not.
- Learn a new recipe!
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There are tons of summer recipes out there for acai bowls, homemade ice cream, smoothies, milkshakes, and more. Play some pop music, settle down in your kitchen, and start cooking away. You’ll have learned something new and at the end of the day and have something delicious to eat.
- Chalk art
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Release your inner child by grabbing a box of colored chalk and drawing on the blacktop. Whether that be a hopscotch board or your rendition of a landscape or an abstract self-portrait, release your inner artist by creating a masterpiece.
- Beach activities
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Just like sunrises/sunsets, while going to the beach it is definitely tempting to pull out your phone and take pictures of everyone and everything. But go to the beach with a different goal in mind—collect seashells and paint them, build sandcastles, or play a game of Frisbee or volleyball. Use this time to get active and also get artsy!
Though the summer can be a great time to take pictures and post on social media, remember that you only live once and in order to live in the moment, you should try to be present with yourself and leave all forms of technology behind temporarily. Just taking a single day to go screen-free and focus on yourself and every little detail around you will make an amazing difference. Take it from a girl who’s tried—and treasured every second of it.