Now That It’s Summer
Students greet summer vacation eagerly each and every year. For most, summer means freedom and relaxation while for others, it is another opportunity to advance and maybe earn a few bucks or two. Everyone wants a memorable summer vacation to sustain them throughout the next school year. So make it happen this summer—and no, not by being the center of the hottest scandal or going through flings at a rate you can never achieve in reading. Make this list your to-do list for the summer and add a few goals of your own so that you will always remember summer of ’09.
Part 1 Places to Go
Whether you live in an urban hotspot or a secluded cabin in a forest, this summer take the time to go visit a local museum or two. If you have many choices, pick your favorites and one you would normally never be caught dead in. Try it for fun; you never know when tidbits of information come in handy. The perks of museums are that they are usually very affordable and enjoyable both as a solo trip or a group outing. Go solo for contemplation. Go in a group for jokes and amusing memories. For those who can’t find the opportunity to drop by an actual museum, take advantage of the internet, check out websites of world renowned museums and make a list of things to see before you kick the bucket.
Another most go place during the summer is the great outdoors. I realize this is very cliché but I insist that it is a must. You don’t need to drive a hundred miles into the wilderness, a local park or hiking trail or lake or beach would do. The purpose of your visit is to relearn how to breathe and see. So take super deep breaths to cleanse your body and mind and look hard for tiny details with your eyes. This is an exercise in awareness, becoming a nature lover is not required but encouraged. Awareness is crucial to leading a happy life, full awareness means that you see the little details in everyday life that make a difference or make you smile. And summer is definitely a time for smiling.
And lastly, make a trip to the market. Buy the raw materials needed to make yourself and friends (or family or both) a picnic. Go basic if you are afraid to touch the stove and focus on things like fruits and yogurts and juice to make easy snacks or try out your hidden chef talents and wow everyone with your cooking. This is in preparation for the rest of your life. Learn how to feed yourself delicious and healthy food, not instant noodles and Oreos.
Part 2 Things to Do
It may not be New Years but summer is a great chance to make a few resolutions. The key is to make it a list of things you want to accomplish, not to change—summer isn’t the time to regret that extra slice of cheesecake but instead reconnect with an old friend or read that one book you can never bear to sit down with. Keep it simple and manageable; the point is so that the summer doesn’t go to waste, not to destroy summer through pressure and stress. Make resolutions that are important to you because this summer is all about yourself.
Write a letter to yourself. I know that for many of people, writing a letter (I’m talking about writing by hand) is an extinct art form. This summer, revive it. Buy a nice pretty pen and pretty paper and write a letter to yourself. Talk about where you are now and where you want to be a couple of years down the road. Pen down some of your most memorable moments and fill it up with questions you want the answers to. Then stash it away somewhere, like a favorite book or in an old photo album. A couple of years down the road; you will read it and laugh (or cry). It’s a cool memory keepsake, yes even for guys. And to up the ante, write letters to your family and friends, especially grandparents to show them that you care.
And lastly inspire someone. Think of a thought provoking message, not something derogatory or mean, but something that makes people think. One of my favorite messages is “What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?” Think of your message and make a sign or poster or a couple of post cards with it. Then stand on a corner and make sure people walking by you see the message. Don’t start trouble but make people pause for a moment in their day and think. This in an exercise in courage. Dare yourself to be brave enough.
Part 3 Things to Read
Be brave and read something this summer. This is a simple list of reads that everyone could learn something from. Pick and choose but read one at least.
o Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
o Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
o The Republic by Plato
o Don Quixote by Cervantes
o The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Read The Alchemist if you read no other book this summer, not because it will necessarily change your life but because there is at least one lesson contained in the short novel for everyone.
Also create your own reading list, make it short and sweet at 10 books that you will actually read. Mix in your favorites with some classics you have not yet dared to open. Ask teachers, friends, family, and neighbors to make recommendations. Pick deadlines and stick to them but do not to force yourself to read two chapters every day; go at your own pace but keep on task. These good habits will help you at every point in life.
Part 4 Getting Ahead
I know that it is summer, the time to take a break from school but the reality is—summer is the perfect opportunity to get ahead in school and make your next school year easier. Having picked out your classes, start getting an idea of what you will be doing next year. Start with browsing course-notes outlines to get an idea of what you will be studying and the difficulty of the material. If you know what help is available on the internet, you won’t have to panic when you are caught cramming for a test (I do not endorse nor recommend cramming). For those books that you will be reading in English, especially plays, see if you can find a movie or a performance. It doesn’t have to be the original, look for a modern adaptation if that’s the only option. Make it an outing or a movie night, you will not only get a crash course of the book but you will also hone your movie critiquing skills. The perks of watching an adaptation also include the fact that you have to extract the theme(s) of the original from the adaptation; it’s good practice in analyzing.
Part 5 Have Fun
There are many ways to spend a summer. I do not recommend making summer full of 40 hour work weeks; instead make summer productive and fun. Go to the parks and the beach, see the movies and the concerts, spend time with friends and family, but also read a few books and learn some new things. Don’t procrastinate and keep yourself in check. Do not do anything you will regret and make sure you know what is really important. Try to live by this saying, “Life is not measured by how many breaths you took, but by the number of moments that took your breath away.”
