Worried about being bored with your summer? Need some ideas? Here are a few examples of real summer plans (in no particular order), which I hope to accomplish that might inspire you!
1. Clean out your room
Now that another year of college has passed, it’s time to go through old stuff I don’t need anymore and make “keep” and “throw away” piles. This may mean going through embarrassing stuff from middle school in the back of your closet, but I know it always feels good to minimize the amount of junk I have accumulated. You might end up with a plastic bag full of old clothes for the Salvation Army!
2. Get excited to spend time with family
Yes, now you have your wonderful family to deal with…but find a way to bond with them. Personally, I hope to play a lot of card games/board games, maybe go to Lake Erie for a “beach” day, or watch some good ol’ Modern Family with my family.
3. Exercise and stay active
I did much better this past semester making it to the KAC a couple times a week, but I want to maintain some physical movement (since it’s so tempting to sit around watching Netflix). Getting outside is easy—I play tennis with my little brother, and I can simultaneously use this as a way to have some sibling bonding time.
4. Learn how to cook
I am about to go abroad in August, and I’m pretty concerned about feeding myself while I’m there. This is the perfect time to practice and get a handful of quick, easy recipes under my belt while having my mom around to make sure I don’t mess anything up.
5. Enjoy leisure activities
Don’t forget to also relax and take some “me time.” I really miss reading a good book for fun. As an English major, I am definitely going to start trying to cross off a few books on the “senior exercise” list, but I also intend to read what I want to!
6 Do something new
I’m a nerd, and one of my goals is to attend a Comic-Con for the first time this summer. Until the time comes, my roommate Melissa has challenged me to learn how to play Legend of Zelda (specifically Twilight Princess) since I don’t have much experience with video games, and I took her up on it! Reaching outside your comfort zone to experience new things is much more interesting than more of the same! (Whoa, so awesome!!)
7. Take a road trip
So far, I haven’t had access to a car long enough to make a road trip with friends. Another goal of mine is to meet up with friends this summer and have a little adventure of our own! Not only does it give you independence, but you might get to explore a new city and make some fun memories.
8. Get ready for next semester
As I said, I’m going abroad, so this entails researching and prepping for the day I leave. Making sure I’m armed with knowledge and backup plans when going to another country is a wise and necessary step in the process. You don’t want to be freaking out because you’re unprepared! Even if you’re not going abroad, prepare yourself for coming back to Kenyon (you may need to shop for a heavier winter coat, for instance).
9. Engage yourself
Most of us have either landed an internship or are working some sort of job this summer. Even without either of these commitments, it’s important to stay involved and productive with the free time we’ve been given.
10. Take care of all those odds and ends
We finally get the summertime with months of gloriousness sprawled out in front of us, but often we forget to do the small things that are simple to take care of! Make sure to finish that short story you’ve been putting off, upload old photos on social media, Skype that friend you haven’t talked to in a while, or learn that piece of music that you started but never finished. Be doing what you want to be doing, and you’ll most definitely make the most of your summer!
We’re almost there… Happy Summer Break everyone!
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