We expect to have all the time in the world during summer break, sitting in the library and planning fun activities. Truthfully, the summer is solely full of broken promises. How many items have you truly checked off your summer bucket list? Ideally, we all would have free time during the season without any limitations. Once you are over the age of about 16, those summers do not exist. You have a job with at least shifts on five days a week, and once you get to college, there is always a summer course that will “get you ahead” for the coming school year. Speaking of work and class, it is almost impossible to skip one class when dealing with a mountain of material and finding coverage for work. With an extremely occupied summer, I decided to make a list of the top 10 plans that I expected to fulfill.
1. Traverse Canada.
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Canada is so close, but so far away. I have yet to go out of the country in my life. Now, I know people always say, “Canada doesn’t count,” but I could actually say that I have been out of the country at least once. This would also kill two birds with one stone, as I would be able to legally drink in Canada. Turning 21 years old this year, I have always wanted to drink illegally before drinking legally. Thank you, busy summer. I guess I simply have to wait until the U.S. considers me as an alcohol consuming adult.
2. Hang out with my high school friends.
Okay, I do not totally regret not doing this one. I got to see my closest friends from high school, and I am content with that. Realistically, college makes you realize how pathetic high school was. After hearing about the continuing drama and gossip, I am very happy to have left high school in the past. A genuine thank you for that one busy summer.
3. Throw a party.
Laugh out loud! Who am I kidding? Throwing a party requires a lot of friends and chill parents. Yes, I was pushing it.
4. Visit Western Massachusetts.
Maybe it is only my friends or the track team, but I consistently hear the phrases “the 413” and "western mass". I promised my best friend and I that I would spend one weekend out in “the country” side of Massachusetts. Alas, I spent another summer in the suburbs of Mass.
5. Read a lot more.
As an English major, I have always loved to read. In high school, I constantly needed to read over the summer. I was super excited to be able to read books for leisure, yet honestly I could not find the time. With work and two lab reports due each week, I could not just sit back and read, reading only two so far. It implies how little time you have in the summer to do simple things.
6. Go hiking.
I have never been hiking before, and it has always been an item on my bucket list. You would think that the summer is the perfect time and the perfect weather for it. Guess not …
7. Attend a lot of concerts.
I did get to go to a couple, including bombs ones like Selena Gomez and the 1975, and have scheduled another to end the summer. Being ambitious, I made a list of every band and artist I wanted to see. One drawback is concerts' extremely expensive tickets. Working every week does not actually cover every cost since certain tickets are two weeks’ worth of work. You know that a girl’s gotta eat.
8. Go to Boston more often.
Having gone to college in Waltham, so close to the city, I initially assumed that I would have visited more often during the school year. I thought that I was given my second chance to explore Boston in the summer due to my close house. It turns out that it is harder to actually find the time and transportation to fit into your schedule.
9. Run a half marathon.
Running more this year than ever, I became ambitious in my mileage. My friend and I agreed to run one together. This was quickly shut down by both the crazy heat wave and my lack of energy.
10. Visit my friends from college.
After leaving my freshman year of college, I could not imagine living without my friends. I said to myself that I would visit and hang out with all my college friends in Massachusetts at least. I ended up with such a busy schedule that even when we were nearby, it was a hassle just to meet up.
After all the broken promises, it almost seems like a very unsuccessful summer. Hopefully, next summer, I will make my goals more obtainable and convenient …then again, I will probably be even more hopeful and attempt to achieve the impossible. It was nice knowing you, summer ’16.
