The summer after high school is probably one of the best ones. You’ve probably been looking forward to this summer forever. If you were involved in sports that have summer camps or conditioning you don't have to wake up when the sun comes up to drive yourself to wherever it may be. If you took AP classes you probably won't have summer homework to turn in on the first day anymore. People going to college in the fall will have orientation and finding out about where they will live and their roommates. There’s all these parties, graduation parties, bonfires, and who knows what else!

But, there are things you must do because if you're going away to college or enlisted in the service and are leaving in the fall you're gonna miss where you came from whether you realize it or not.

1. Spend time with your family

You’re going to miss them a lot when you leave, even if you complain about your little sibling being annoying, or your mom nagging you to clean your room (okay maybe not that but you know what I mean), or your dad, grandpas, grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins and/or pets. You’ll miss the family get togethers when you can’t come home for the weekend because you have and exam that next week you really need to study for. So, go to that family party you really do not want to go to, spend time with them and laugh at whatever your crazy cousin is doing (you’ll miss that too).

2. Go to as many graduation parties as you can

If you were as lucky to have a close group of friends in high school as I was, you’re gonna be extremely sad just thinking about not having them right around the corner to hang out whenever you want. Make sure you go to graduation parties to spend time with all those people that made the last four, seven, or even 12 years of school bearable and let them know how much they mean to you.

3. Spend time with your friends

Like I said, if you were as lucky as I was to have a close group of friends, make sure you spend time with them and make memories doing whatever stupid thing you find to do that night/day. These will be the memories you tell your new group of friends in college about, about your best friends at home and the really funny thing that your one friend did. Go out to dinner with them, go to the beach, have bonfires, make memories!

The summer after high school should be full of letting go of high school and getting ready for the next step in life, but don't get rid of all those people who made it all worth it.