Whether you’re a college student, earning some much-needed tuition cash, or someone who’s stuck in an office cubicle, I hate to break it to you, but summer’s half over. So here are seven ways to make the most out of it!
1. Take a spontaneous road trip with a friend.
If you’re a student, it’s crucial to make money during the summer months to help pay off your student loans. But let’s be honest: you are only young once. Go on a trip and have some friend time, even if it’s only for a day.
2. Write a thank you note. Or 12.
Summer is a perfect time to reflect on the blessings around you. Last year I wrote 87 “summer letters,” and what I’ve learned from that experience is this: everyone loves a piece of good ol’ fashioned mail. Take some time to write a letter to someone who is near and dear. Or if you’re feeling bold, leave a note in a random place for a stranger to discover. Through encouraging others, you’ll end up encouraging yourself. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
3. Leave the phone at home for the night.
As much as I say I don’t have an obsession with my phone, I do. I love to Instagram my perfect ice cream sandwich, or check Twitter in the midst of an awkward moment. But I’m beginning to realize that at the end of the day, my friends are much more interesting than a screen.
4. Try new food.
Go to a new restaurant. Or check out that food truck parked down the street. Though getting out of the familiar might catch you off guard, it also might be the perfect gateway to lead you to try even more new things.
5. Have a usual.
Despite #4, it’s cool to have a usual. It’s amazing what kinds of adventures you can have or people you meet if you visit a café or a park at roughly the same time every day. Figure out familiar faces. Sit with them. Make an unordinary friend.
6. Get outside.
Learn to embrace the heat, and find out what’s happening in your city or the next one over. You’d be surprised by the amount of festivals filled with concerts and food that you can experience right in your own backyard!
7. Make a bucket list and commit to it.
It’s easy to hold off of your plans because of weather, laziness, or the “I’ll do it tomorrow” speech you tell yourself. Making a list will be the catalyst to jump start your already started summer, and make you feel like you’ve accomplished things (that you actually want to do!) instead of wasting away your day sitting in the sun. Unless that’s the only thing on your list, of course.
Photo (Flickr CC) by James Bowe.
