I'm 20 years old. I go to school. I live at home. I'm your average college kid, I'd say. And because of that, summer isn't like it was when I was younger.
This summer has been crazy busy for me. I currently work two jobs: one being an internship and is 40 hours a week and the other is a part-time job at an ice cream shop which I work one weekend day a week. But at the ice cream shop, I work 11 hour days.
So if you do all that math up, that's 51 hours of working a week.
To make things easier, let's just make it an even 52 hours a week. Now, let's take into consideration I'm a true fanatic and lover of sleeping, and so I try to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. We'll make it an average of eight hours a night, then. So eight hours times seven is 56.
52 hours of work, and 56 hours of sleeping. Added together that's 108 hours, so far. But let's also take into account the time it takes me to get ready, let's say two hours a day of showering, laundry, getting myself together, making lunches, etc. two hours, seven days a week, is 14.
52 + 56 + 14 = 122.
And we can't forget driving to and from work. Half an hour to my internship, half an hour back, and an hour to the ice cream shop and an hour back, for a total of seven hours of driving.
52 + 56 + 14 + 7 = 129
Oh, and of course, we cannot forget time for eating. Let's approximate and say three hours a day account for eating (three meals & snacks, obviously) (but let's be real, it's probably more but oh well) for a total of 21.
And then Sunday's, my one day off from work, are generally spent with my family as we all tend to work during the week, so Sunday's are our time to spend together, usually out on our boat or at the beach (which I'm supergrateful for!!!). So there's 10 hours of my week, also.
52 + 56 + 14 + 7 + 21 + 10 = 160
And let's throw in a buffer of about two hours in case there's traffic some days, or I take a nap, or we go out to dinner, and things of the like. So now, we're at 162 hours.
But, we cannot forget that there are only 24 hours in a day, and only seven days in a week.
24 x 7 = 168.
Therefore, I have about six hours total to do summer-like activities...
Six hours a week. Six hours to see my friends. Six hours to go to the movies, the beach, a carnival, a museum, an amusement park.
With all this math and calculations, I have about six hours a week to be a kid in the summer again.
This summer has shown me that at the young age of twenty, I may actually be closer to being an adult than I thought.
I've realized a lot about adults and learned to appreciate them even more. Specifically, I understand why adults are tired so often: a 40 hour work week is strenuous. I understand why all we want to do is watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and be in bed by 8. I'm right there with you.
And in no way am I saying I'm not enjoying my summer. Believe me, I find the time to have fun. I've been to concerts, the beach, on vacation, and tons of more shenanigans and adventures that scream summer. And I've been loving all the work I've been doing! I'm learning so much at my internship this summer and gaining tons of hands-on work experience that will help in the long run. And working at the ice cream shop has been one of my favorite things in my entire life. It's a happy, bubbly, summer environment and I love every minute I'm there. There are just those times when you're working that you may start to get serious FOMO (fear of missing out) when my friends text the group chat asking who wants to grab breakfast tomorrow. While they're all sleeping in until 10 a.m. and rolling out of bed to eat eggs, home fries, and pancakes together, I'm at my desk in my office polishing off my cup of coffee with an extra turbo shot.
But don't get me wrong, I'm loving this summer!
It's just always funny to think that as kids, we are always in a rush to grow up and leave our younger years in the past, but in all honesty, I would love to go back. I loved being a kid and being a teenager. And I understand that I am still very, very young as I'm only twenty years old, but I just don't want to rush any of the years I have ahead of me.
Life is too short for us to want to grow up and get it over with. Life happens when we slow down and let it take the reins.
I'm prepared to make those six hours of each week the very best.
(P.S. if my math is wrong, I apologize. I'm an engineering major and know my math, but sometimes you win some you lose some ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
(P.P.S. If I'm way off in my numbers in terms of getting ready, eating, driving, etc., whoopsidaisies!)