It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for all year… summer. We have two weeks left till summer and I am counting down the days. But before my days of eating fruit on the beach, I still have a week of finals. However, I will not let that stop me from getting a little pre-tan going before summer. To be honest I’m fair-skinned and usually burn before I tan, but still, getting out in the sun is so much fun.
Now there are a couple of places you can go to tan on campus, the most popular being Landis. However, I live in Wildwood and prefer a little more privacy, so my favorite spot is the garden. The Florida State Garden is right across from Wildwood Hall and next to the lacrosse fields. It’s the perfect private spot to tan. It has a large grass area with some picnic tables and some shade. In addition to tanning, this place is also a good spot to get some studying done outside, read, or just wind down.
How to tan
My routine starts every morning first by checking my weather app and seeing if it’s a sunny day as well as the predicted UV index. A good day consists of no clouds and UV above or at eight. If both of those boxes are checked, I then ask my suitemate (who also loves to go outside and tan) if she would like to join me. She usually says yes. We both get our bathing suits on, put on our oversized t-shirts and head out.
I should mention, I also apply face sunscreen before leaving because the sun is the number one ager and I am trying to stay wrinkleless for as long as I can. Anyway, we head outside to the garden and look for a good spot with decent sun exposure. We lay out our towels and I apply a generous amount of sunscreen because I burn easily and don’t want to be in pain later. Then, we just lay out there and listen to music and talk. We don’t really talk much but it’s nice just knowing you have company and are not alone because I am a woman and tend to like a skimpier bikini.
Putting aside the nice tan I get after laying out a couple of times, I genuinely feel like I’ve gotten happier since I started laying out. It is 30 minutes to an hour that I get to myself where I can just lay on the grass, listen to music, and think about my life and thoughts. Even if you don’t like tanning it is still nice to get outside and eat or bring a book and just have some time alone.
Fair warning: it is getting pretty hot here and the UV index can get pretty high, so make sure to bring water and sunscreen!
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