So here it is, summer. In the words of Phineas and Ferb, "There's 104 days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it. So, the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it." Whether or not you have 104 days, the song does hold true. What am I going to do with all this time? Well, due to the fact that not all of us can just build a roller coaster in our backyards, become musicians for a day or create a time machine and come face to face with dinosaurs, we're forced to ask ourselves, what am I going to do? Everyone has different ideas of what their perfect summer will have in store, but I think it is time to focus, not on exotic beach locations or faraway lands, but on the adventures you can make on your own time and still create memories of a lifetime.

Curl Up With a Good Book or Movie

Being the bookworm and movie-buff that I am, I find there is nothing more relaxing yet entertaining than diving into the latest new supernatural teen fiction or rereading an old favorite. It is also great going to see the new releases at the movie theater. You can even stay home, pop some popcorn, wrap up in a blanket and watch those movies that get you, even though you have watched them more times than you care to admit.

Visit a Museum/Zoo/Exhibit

What, a museum? Seriously? Yes, seriously. Believe it or not, you can learn outside of school. There are more than enough museums about a variety of topics, so it is relatively simple to find one that catches your eye. Whether you like fancy art, space exploration, animals or historical events, there is bound to be a museum or other attraction that can satisfy your interests.

Go to Pop-Up Markets

Summer is the prime time for flea-offs, auctions and odds-and-ends markets to pop-up. Personally, these are some of my favorite things to attend over the summer, because you never know exactly what you may find. Sure, some are bound to be a bust, but others could have lost treasures for you to add to your collection or are good places to find yourself starting a collection.

Catch Up With Old Friends

I never realized just how much I missed my friends until I headed back from my first year of college and realized how long it had been since we had seen each other and hung out. So, it is always fun to just sit and talk for hours to catch up with what they've been up to and let them know what you've been doing. Bonus: you get to see your friends and maybe even introduce them to some of your new friends you made at college.

Experiment With New Looks

So, with the pressure of school temporarily off your back, you have time to explore yourself again, adding what you learned about yourself during the recent school year. It's the time to try a new look, whether it be a new hair style, or color or creating a new persona with a new wardrobe. Plus, if you decide you don't like the new direction you attempted, it's easily forgotten and brushed under the rugs .

Have Lazy Days

This whole article has been going on about doing things, and you're saying to have a lazy day? Yes, I am. Realistically, you won't have something to do every single day of your summer vacation, and it's also important to let yourself recover from frequent outings and recharge. Sometimes, you just need to relax in bed all day and do a whole lot of nothing.

These are just a few suggestions that are more realistic than visiting Mars or creating human-sized ants as Phineas and Ferb did. Have a fun summer!