Coming To Terms With Having An Average Summer | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Coming To Terms With Having An Average Summer

The trick is to notice before it's too late.

10
Coming To Terms With Having An Average Summer
Halee Sikorski

Over the past few weeks I’ve begun to notice a trend in my life: routine. With no school obligations, daunting emails, or looming assignments, I have a lot of free time. I wake up early (I know I’m becoming an adult because I secretly enjoy this), I eat breakfast and drink coffee, I head to the gym where I say “hello” to the same worker every day and run alongside the same group of people. I then head to my summer job, and if I’m not working I still make my way to my place of employment and lay out for the day (perks of working at a pool).

I have no worldly trips booked, crazy adventures planned, or awesome internships lined up. Additionally, my hometown is quite possibly the most boring town in the entire United States. I have friends scattered all around the globe doing awesome things and, here I am, having a painstakingly average summer.

In the midst of all of this, I began to resent myself. I’m twenty years old, there are so many other things I could be out doing right now! Why am I sitting in the middle of nowhere doing nothing?

But then one night I rewatched “Paper Towns” and was inspired by a quote at the end of the movie: “So maybe we won’t ever win the lottery, or marry royalty, or make that last second shot. That doesn’t mean we won’t have amazing adventures, meet exceptional people, and make indelible memories. The trick is to notice before it’s too late.”

Thanks, John Green.

Maybe I won’t use my passport this summer, live in a big city, or even go to a beach, but who cares? That doesn’t make my summer any less worthwhile or meaningful than anyone else’s. This time next year I’ll be applying for a real world job and trying to learn how to adult. I should enjoy my last carefree summer while I still can.

OK, carefree is a stretch. I’m working almost everyday, heading to camp in July, leaving my childhood home and moving to a new house, turning 21, and visiting Colorado. So, maybe I do have a few things to look forward to. Although they may not be extremely glamorous, they’ll be spent with people I love.

In case you feel like you’re stuck in the routine of an average summer as well, know that life isn’t always an award winning show deserving of an encore, but that’s OK. We’d be exhausted and rundown after awhile if that were the case.

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful," said LR Knost.

So, whether your summer (or life) is currently amazing or awful, eventful or mundane, appreciate whatever season you’re in. Don’t wish away your current days longing for something more. Return tickets have a set date, summers end, and something new will be around the corner before you know it.
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179337
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6487
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451969
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22986
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments