"You're so lucky you're traveling! It's so boring here. I'm ready for school to start!" My friend groans. She says I am lucky because I am on a trip but honestly, does it really matter? She is always like this. We all have at least one friend who is constantly bored and is ready for the next thing to start. We also all arrive at this place every once in awhile. We allow ourselves to become bored with the present and just want the future to arrive. There is nothing wrong with making plans and being excited about the future. In fact, making plans can be a good thing and can actually be used to make the most of the present if done properly. But if we aren't careful, we will always be waiting for the next thing to arrive and not be living in the moment. Of course, life can become boring very easily if we aren´t enjoying the simple things that are right in front of us. Instead of counting down the days until the school year (and then the minutes until fall break then school then Winter break, etc.) try some of these ideas. And remember, keep an open mind. You never know what will be fun and what you will get excited about.

1. Find free activities in your area.

I am the queen of free activities. I have a list of free activities that I can do pretty much any day or night. Lucky for me, my city has tons. Free movies at Washington Park on Wednesday, Indie Night on Fridays in our Fountain Square, multipe free museums, free yoga classes, this list could go on forever. And there are sure to be some in your area. Get on your town or cities website and start poking around. Pick up a news paper and flip to the entertainment section. Type in "free things to do in whatever-the-name-is-ville" on Google.

2. Listen to new music.

I love Spotify because I use it to find new music. I like to go on a radio or a random playlist and chose a cool band name or a song that I like and click to the band's page and listen to their entire, newest album. Listen to the words and get to know the music. If you really want to challenge yourself, listen to a genre you don´t like that much and try to get to know it and understand why others may enjoy it.

3. Get a Goodreads, make a book list, check it off.

If you still haven´t heard of Goodreads then it's time you finally did. Goodreads lets you go in and create all different book lists and also links you to books you may be interested in. It's like the Tinder of books, that's my kind of Tinder (okay, it's not actually that much like Tinder but that is a great idea. Someone invent that). My list is so long and I can´t stop adding to it. Once you get a list going, head to the library or Half Price Bookstore and get started with it. Also, don't be embarrassed to go for a "bad quality" book. Some people are snooty about reading but sometimes you just want to kick back and get sucked into a chick flick and there is nothing wrong with that, it's way better than binge watching Netflix for ten hours.

4. Get lost.

Grab your friends and go. Or just go by yourself. I do both. Get in your car and head in a general direction and just drive where you want. Eventually, head for the back roads and when you see something that interests you, stop. I´ve stopped for old buildings, donkeys, ice cream, parks, whatever fancies you, just stop. So often we drive by things we are curious about and we never make time to look at them. So, if you're bored, you have the time to stop.

5. Volunteer.

There are so many awesome volunteering opportunities and you don´t have to do them just because they look good on your resume, you can do them just because you want to. I loved volunteering for the Contemporary Art Center because I would get access to events and exhibitions that not everyone else would. If you want to cook, find a shelter. If you want to play with animals, go to an animal shelter. If you like kids, work with the kids at a church. There is something for everyone.

6. Do the things that were fun as a kid.

Personally, I still love making faces in the mirror, finding shapes in the clouds and the stars, and dancing in the rain. I know everyone is super cool now but it's time to get over yourself. That´s one of the best first steps to not being bored. Build a fort. Make home-made ice-cream. Play in the sprinkler. Bake cupcakes and decorate them. Being a child at heart is a good thing and I am telling you that is for sure how you have the most fun.

7. Go to a public pool.

You don´t have to have a pool in your backyard or belong to a swim club to go swimming. I was a city life-guard for 4 years and I love our public pools. You can do a few laps, enjoy the water, catch a tan, and even do a bit of people watching.

8. Write letters.

This has been on my "for fun to-do list" for years and I will do it this year. Writing a letter can take you as short or as long as you want and can make someone´s day and if you´re lucky they will write you one back too. If you know someone older this would be an especially thoughtful thing to do. It´s like someone sending you an IM, brings back the memories of an earlier time when things were simpler.

9. Make a friend or make a friend a better friend or an old friend a new friend.

Remember when you could walk up to people and "Hi, let's be friends." You might not want to say those exact words but you can still put those words into practice. Go to a coffee shop or a restaurant and ask if you can sit with strangers, get a conversation going with a person on the street, put yourself out there and if they shut you down they weren't your friend in the first place so it doesn't really matter. If you're not quite ready to reach into the void of the unknown then start with something simpler. Message an old friend or an acquaintance on Facebook and say you'd like to catch up over ice-cream. Even if you only catch up or the conversation isn't really there, it's still nice and a good way to expose yourself to others and maybe it will be awesome and an old friend will become a new friend once again or an acquaintance will become a better friend.

10. Go outside.

There are so many parks it's crazy. It's time people start seeing them and using them. We fight for green space and then we just let it sit and play on our i-phones. Go outside! Find a hike, go see a park, take a walk, ride your bike, find a place to pick berries, camp in your backyard. It´s all fun and gets you breathing fresh air. Take advantage of all the things there are to do outside for free. Enjoy it!

I could write a list that goes on forever but hopefully this is enough to get your brain going so you can start your own list. Don't let the temptation of doing nothing and allowing your brain to become numb win out. Fight back and have an adventure. Even if the only thing that motivates you to get started is an artsy Insta pic, I'm okay with that because I know once you start you won't stop. Don't count down the days of Summer break, get excited and enjoy all the minutes and seconds in between. Besides, as they say, only boring people get bored!