As the last week of my freshmen year of college came to end, I was eagerly awaiting to get home and start my summer. Excited to see my friends from home, go to the beach ( oh how I missed the beach), see my furry friends again, and dream about my hot girl summer. While I was concocting all of my master plans for summer, I kept forgetting that I would not have a car this summer.Â
Now, I live in the suburbs on Long Island which is not a walkable place. To get anywhere outside of my town it is at least a five minute drive and there is very little public transportation here. While this may have put a wrench in some of my plans, I did not let it stop me from having fun. In fact, it helped me appreciate my town more and finally decrease my screen time once and for all.Â
Without my car, I was home for an extensive amount of time this summer, which is rare for me since I try to stay busy and get out of the house (especially on nice days). With all this time to spare, I was unsure of what to do myself. It was easy in the beginning of the summer since my cousin was home for a bit before she left to start her new job. We went on drives to the beach, got lots of coffee (Dunkin, I love you), and just spent most of our time together. After she left though, and it was just me, I mostly spent my days scrolling on my phone or on Netflix.Â
However, when I had my fill of screen time and decided to put my phone away, I felt upset with myself that I wasted away. Or I had a raging headache from staring at a screen for hours.Â
So I decided to make a change and leave my phone in my room. Yes, I was stuck at home, but that does not mean I could not maximize my time and enjoy it. Cause when else would I have this much time? I started to go on more walks with my dog, read outside, and complete things off my summer checklist like listen to my records, go through my closet (which was long…so long) or just tan in my backyard. To let myself be in the moment and not let the summer pass me by.Â
Plus, I began to appreciate where I live more. Making little trips to the grocery store or to get something with my mom, while mundane, did help brighten my day. While some of the more desirable places I wanted to go this summer were far away, there were spots I could get with my bike. So I gave myself little day excursions that were enjoyable and got me out of the house. While there may not be a lot to do around here, I am grateful for what we do offer as a town. Thankfully, my mom could sometimes drive me places and I have friends with cars so some of my more lofty plans on my list could get checked off, such as visiting my friend in New York City and going to see some broadway shows (Thank you mom and dad).
All in all, I had a good summer but I am ready to go back to school. I am excited to see my friends again, start my new classes and explore more of the amazing Buffalo. And I cannot believe I am saying this, but I also am starting to miss my dining hall dinners. Most of all though, I am itching to get back to the 716. See you soon UB!Â