As I spent the Fourth of July at my family's lake house in Georgia, I quickly realized how much happier I was living the care-free lake life compared to spending day-to-day in a big ol' city. Here's a few reasons why- and yes, I ranked them in order.

1. Everyone's on lake time.

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Lunch time occurs when everyone realizes they're fried and need a 'sun break'. Dinner doesn't start cooking until after the sun sets. No time is wasted when your clock is based on the UV rays for the day. Just like Luke Bryan once said, "sunrise, sunburn, sunset, repeat."

2. Sunsets on the water.

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It should be a proven fact that every scenic atmosphere is exemplified times a million on the water. Nothing beats the sun setting behind the pink clouds and bright blue sky. Sunsets are amazing in general, but when you're watching them on the boat or from the dock, they're a hundred times prettier.

3. "Lake hair, don't care."

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Messy, tangled hair? Haven't showered in a few days? No one cares what you look (or smell) like when you're at the lake. This gives you the perfect excuse to have a fishy, sunscreen odor with a bird's nest for a bun. Messy hair will do wonders for your "lake life" Instagram aesthetic, too.

4. Late night bonfires.

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The fire warms the bottoms of your feet. You're listening to the waves crash against the shore, and you're telling stories about the year spent apart, all of which serves as quality bonding time.

5. Spontaneous adventures.

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Adventure to a cliff and dare each other to jump off. Pack in a car and drive to the local gas station for some snacks and Icees. Anything is possible when you're back with the people you grew up around. The best memories today are those that were unplanned and spontaneous.

6. Water sports.

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You're riding the waves while the wind blows through your hair, wiping out on the tube, diving off the boat into the murky water, and feeling the sun fry your skin. It isn't a true lake day until you waddle inside with scratches and bruises from head to toe.

7. Relaxing (ALL the time).

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You love waking up in the morning to a freshly brewed cup of coffee, sipping it out on the deck, and overlooking your family members floating around the dock. The lake atmosphere just gives me this overwhelming sense of serenity and relaxation, especially surrounded by the people I love.

8. Quality family/friend time.

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One of the best parts of family reunions is catching up with those few cousins you never get to see enough, or the uncle that only knows about your life through your latest Facebook posts. No matter how annoying the question, "So, how were your grades this year?" gets, you always enjoy all the moments of laughter or advice that come after. Nothing beats the feeling of receiving little reminders that there will always be a constant group of people who love you, support you, and care about how you're doing.

These are just a few reasons why I love the glimpse of living the lake life that I get a taste of every summer. If everyone took just a little time to appreciate the joys in life, maybe we can all get on track to 'living our best life'.

P.S. If you're interested, here's the link to a video we created from our trip. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/qTpgWQG37IE