Dear Girl,

I know summer is hard for you.

Whether you are working constantly and missing out or free what seems like all the time but never get invited summer just isn't your jam. No matter how much it feels like it, you are not alone. Summer is over-romanticized in the movies on Instagram and in everyone's head. And when something is over-romanticized, the real thing will never measure up. Okay, 'never' is a strong word, and you can have an amazing summer, but it is not realistic to think that every summer will be like the movies.

If you're wishing this one would just go ahead and end, you probably don't have any tropical vacations or epic adventures planned.

I'd say it's safe to guess that your summer shouldn't be compared to a movie or to that girl on Instagram. Regardless of what you're doing and why you're not thrilled about summer, you can survive and maybe even thrive (but just surviving is absolutely okay) these next three months.

The first step in making this summer better is to come to terms with your summer and the fact that it does not look like whoever's summer you are longing for.

Do you know what they say about comparison being the thief of joy? Well, it is absolutely true and you have no chance of enjoying your summer if you are wishing for someone else's. Whatever your summer looks like, I guarantee that once you accept it as it is you'll see more opportunities for fun. Now for some, this may be a fairly simple exercise, and for others, it might require much more thought and a break from Instagram, but whatever you have to do will be worth it because you will not look back on the memories of wishing for a different situation fondly.

The next step is to embrace that summer is not your favorite season.

It doesn't have to be and if you are pressuring yourself to love something just because you think you are "supposed" to, it is not going to work. I spent a lot of years trying to love things because I thought I had to love what other people wanted me to love and believe me when I say it doesn't work. Maybe you have a friend who absolutely loves summer. That's great and you can be happy for her, and enjoy summer activities with her that she enjoys but that does not mean you have to love summer.

Once you have accepted your reality and let go of any false narratives you were carrying about summer, you can be free to make this summer into the best it can be and to invite others in who also may not love summer or are just trying to get through this season. I always find that when I am feeling down about my circumstances that when I look outward instead of inward my situation always feels less hard.

So get out there, accept where you are, and start living there.

Love,

A girl who needs to hear this just as much as you.