When you think about summer, some of the first thoughts that come into your mind are: the beach, road trips, mountain climbing, camping, lakeside bonfires, days spent with friends in new places, etc.- in other words, adventures. In actuality, we go on very few adventures over summer break; sure, we might visit a new Chinese restaurant with our best friends, but that's usually the extent of our adventure. We typically spend our summers working, maybe we have a week-long vacation in Florida (because everyone goes to Florida), and we stay home. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that; everybody is different, everybody enjoys different things, and that's okay!

For those of us who want to do more, who want to wander and roam and break our complacency- adventure is out there. It is not in the comfort of you living room, it is not in the town where you feel restricted and trapped, it is in the other millions of cities around the world, with the other billions of people. Know that there are endless opportunities for you to travel, to roam and thrive and discover. Fill up your gas tank, buy a train ticket, plan a road trip, and just go. Take a hike at the nearest Nature Reservation, jump on a bus to a new city, go to an art museum, see a theatre production.

Summer doesn't have to be a time spent on your couch, seven seasons of Gilmore Girls deep into the break. There are so many more things to do than visit a new ice cream parlor. Invest in yourself this summer; read more books, spend more time outside, socialize with more friends, meet new people, do things that give you stories for your children. In thirty years, do you want to tell your kids about the time you went to a different snow cone stand with your friends, or do you want to tell them about the time you decided to jump on a bus one morning and followed it to a new and unknown destination?

Adventure is out there, so go find it.