While studying for my last final in the Ekstrom Library this past week, I was counting down the hours until I would be on my way to Gulf Shores, Alabama. All students have some form of motivation pushing them past the pain and suffering of finals week. No matter if it’s a week at the beach or just finally being able to sleep in, college students can’t wait to be free. My freedom finally came at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon when I settled into the car for a ten-hour drive to the coast. On any other day, this drive would have just been an annoyance in my way, keeping me from the beach, but it felt unbelievably wonderful to lean back and do absolutely nothing. It was the first time I had the pleasure of doing absolutely nothing since the start of the semester. For me, the idea that I had nothing to do was a bit mindblowing.

Weekends in the past were spent pouring over Chemistry textbooks and slaving over English papers, but now I could kick back and just chill out. Now what in the world did that mean for me? What does doing nothing mean for any of us? So at the beginning of my beach vacation, I had to ask myself a very important question: how would I spend my time? My cousin had a simple answer to this question as a beach expert. She explained that the best way to spend our time on the coast was “Beach, Pool, Eat, Repeat.” These things are the elemental forms of doing nothing. But in the same way that lying on the beach can be peaceful and fun-filled, it can quickly turn south.

A day into our trip, we were spending the evening peeling off our bathing suits to compare sunburns. Perfect way to end a day on the beach, right? In the back of my mind, I had a thought as I cursed myself for not putting on enough sunscreen. I thought that this was an opportunity, this was a choice I could make. Even in the middle of something that’s supposed to be amazing and fun like a beach vacation, there are still nuisances that try to creep up and ruin everything. There would always be sunburns and crashing waves trying to turn a good mood into a bad one. In all reality, perspective is so important in being able to enjoy a vacation and life as a whole.

So are a couple of patches of red skin and sandy toes enough to ruin a vacation? Absolutely not. My first day at Gulf Shores was full of peaceful nothings and lots of fun, but so was the rest of my time. Each morning, I’d head out with a smile on my face, family by my side, and lots of sunscreen on hand. A beach week or even finals week can be turned around with a smile and a couple laughs. Both life and vacation are what you make them; face them with a smile and you’re off to a great start, no matter what waves are rolling your way.