Summer is probably the most timeless and nostalgic word that brings delight and excitement for everyone. For me, summer means freedom and an endless opportunity for adventure. Summer is a time to let loose and finally achieve that golden tan that everyone wants. Long days at the beach and then binge watching on Netflix or catching up on your favorite T.V. show sounds like paradise to me; just like in High School Musical 2: "what time is it? It's summer time!"

But in all honesty, summer is more than going to the beach, going on road trips, and experiencing life around us, it is honestly a time to reflect on yourself and what you want to achieve for the upcoming year.

Summer isn't just about taking a break from school or preparing for your new chapter in your own life that you might experience shortly. These three months that you have make you appreciate your friends, family, or peers even more than you even know. I know for myself, I used to take my summer break for granted and usually end up not finding who I am or who I want to be. There is a time and a place for someone to have that divine inspiration and personally, it could be in the most random place or somewhere special that you share with someone else. This summer, I believe that I have found that place where I am literally one with nature. This place is very special to me. Not only did my boyfriend take me there but I found out that a little piece of me changed for the better. This special place is called Great Falls. And I fell in love with the world around me.

Great Falls is located in Maryland. This place is the ultimate getaway that focuses on nature rather than crazy city life that surrounds this beautiful landmark.

So just a quick back story about my life right now. My parents have moved to Virginia because they have gotten new jobs. This means that my sister and I have come up to the DC area for the summer. This experience so far has been amazing thus far, not only for my inner travel bug but also for my desire to experience as many places as I can before my actual life beings.

So when my boyfriend took me here, I not only felt something inside me allowing me to be free but I also felt a sense something changing inside of me. This change inside of me made me realize that I need to appreciate what life has given me thus far. I have realized that life is very unpredictable and I need to adjust to change, just like how the rocks were placed right next to the rushing water.

Over this short amount of time that has been spent on my summer break, I have realized that life is short. Life is beautiful. And most importantly, life is something unpredictable.

When thinking about summer, you need to step back from reality and realize that time is short and you should capture all that is beautiful in this world. Even though summer is only three months long, take advantage of opportunities that only happen once in your lifetime. But don't take it from me. Get out there and experience it yourself, because you could also be inspired to just simply..live a little.