Summer is known as the season for fun, for new experiences and new places. You go online and see an endless feed of beach photos or talk to your friends who all seem to be planning their “euro-summer”. For many, summer then becomes known as the season for FOMO, feeling behind, bed rotting, and being alone. The obsession to see more and do more only increases with age and as a college student with no internship and the need to save money, seeing and doing more seems almost impossible, and is likely the case for many of us this scorching season. I’m here to tell you it is far from impossible as we cover the survival guide to a no-travel summer.
The first steps to having your dream summer in your boring hometown is about mindset and goals. The truth is you are never going to have this amazing summer if you keep referring to wherever you are as your boring hometown. So, instead think of it as a hidden gem, a place where you will soon hold countless memories, and believe that this summer will be more than just survivable. The next is goals. This will not only set you up to finish the summer with something to be proud of but work to combat the feeling of being behind. By the end of this past semester, I had set out a list of things I wanted to work on: get into running, be better at being alone, get certain certifications, etc. My list is nothing short of extensive, but the common goal was bettering myself and setting me up for success. So, I ask you, what are your goals this summer?
In efforts to help you meet them, I’ve broken this guide down into four main categories that will hopefully work to meet at least some of these goals: educational/professional goals, physical health, emotional well-being, and social planning.
1. Educational and professional Goals
When it comes to educational goals of course there is the obvious – school, internship, repeat. I encourage to, if possible, follow this path and apply to internships or take summer classes. Now, if this seems too basic for you or just at this point is not possible then we move on.
There is then the next most obvious choice – get a job, volunteer, build your resume. One thing I’ve learned since going to university is that your resume and LinkedIn is never complete, so, improve it. Volunteer with something you’re passionate about or even related to your field. Here you are not only helping yourself but others. If this isn’t enough, search for online certifications. You will find there are countless out there to not only boost your resume but make you more knowledgeable overall (and many are free).
Finally, if this seems all too structured for you, take your learning and professional development into your own hands. We all have our own passion projects that during the year often get buried under the rug. For me, one of them is this blog, but for many of my friends it's their own nonprofits, businesses, or coding projects. Now is the perfect time to continue developing these. Finally, learn a side hustle like drop shipping or maybe just simply pick up a book and read.
2.Physical Health
Improving your physical health is not only beneficial to the longevity of your body, but also your mind. The most common excuse to not working on your physical health is time and interest level. So, let’s combat those...
Time – this whole blog is about what to do with your summer when you don’t have time. Therefore, you have the time. The vast variety of ways you can improve your physical health also allows for you to find ways that are less time consuming and fit into your schedule. If it's important to you, you will make time (and your health should always be important to you).
Interest – as briefly touched on above, there are countless ways to improve your physical health and if you take the time to look, I can guarantee you will find ways that pique your interest. When people think of what “improving your physical health” means running marathons, eating salads and lifeless food, or lifting until you look like Sam Sulek is often what comes to mind. This is simply not the case. Below I have provided just a glimpse of ideas to adapt into improving your physical health:
- Drink at least 2L of water daily
- Go for more walks
- Stretch daily
- Do yoga or Pilates
- Find community workout classes
- Join an intermural sport
- Get 8 hours of sleep daily
- Implement a proper skincare routine
- Research whole foods and healthier substitutes
And there are countless more! What’s important is that you are moving, fueling, and recovering properly! This will not only improve your health but improve your daily mood, confidence, and sense of accomplishment.
3. Emotional Well-being
While more often overlooked and unseen compared to its physical counterpart, emotional well-being is just as important for our health and quality of life. Especially at my age, and that of many of my readers, emotional development is at its heights and crucial to uncover. Whether it be the normal unknowns that come from life or problems developed from past traumas, there is always more to learn about and improve on yourself. Everyone has bodies in their closet, the only thing that will set you apart is how you deal with it, and what better time than now. As stated previously, my main emotional goal for this summer is learning to be okay with being alone. If you aren’t sure where you want to start, some of my past strides have included healthy communication development, learning about my love languages, attachment styles, better understanding and labeling my feelings, or practicing patience and empathy (just to name a slim few).
How to better these are, in my opinion, far more difficult than working on your physical goals and no one truly knows how. There are endless amounts of research and information to be learned beyond just this blog, and I would urge you to start with perhaps a book or podcast. Beyond this is learning about yourself and what makes you tik. Take time to reflect, to be alone, to develop and to practice your goals.
I cannot tell you how to do this precisely but speaking from the things that have helped me, this include taking myself on solo dates, journaling constantly, research, CBT techniques, and endless nights of reflection whether that be with myself or others. Not all develop has to be done alone, sometimes understanding others, helps to better understand yourself, so don’t forget to have these conversations with friends as well. Just remember that this specific category has no right answer or path and is usually categorized by many downfalls. What matters is that you never give up because over time you will notice changes, even if small, which will develop into skills you will need forever.
4. Social Planning
All of this life improvement, while satisfying long term, short term doesn’t always fill up your soul. As important as it is to “be on the grind”, “lock in, or “learn how to be alone”, it is just as important to enjoy your summer and make memories. Life is and will always be about the balance, so while you should have and work towards your own goals, seeing your friends and filling your spaces with your laughter should be a main priority this summer. But how do you do this with zero big plans and a lack of funds to make some?
Start by researching ideas. There are countless people sharing what they do with friends and what they think you should do with yours. Your towns local website is also bound to be filled with upcoming local events which could serve as perfect outings this summer. Seeing cute ideas on TikTok or simply pulling up yours maps app is bound to get you brainstorming.
Put together a list. Ideas for making memories come and go quickly and often when we are actually faced with a decision, our minds go blank. So, I encourage you to create a list, maybe a summer bucket list or a challenge for all the things you want to do this summer.
Take day trips. Maybe you can’t get on a plane and fly 3,000 miles away or even 300, but perhaps you can get a car, some gas, and a group of friends to make a day away. Luckily, I live right between the mountains and beach, so day trips are fairly easy. However, if you don’t find yourself conveniently located, look up a nearby town you’ve never explored or a local lake you can spend the day at.
Expand your circle, get involved. Some of my fondest summer memories have been with almost complete strangers or with friends of friends I see every week to play volleyball with. One of the worst things about summer is the feeling of loneliness that creeps in as your friends spread back out to their hometowns. One of the best ways to aid in this is to form or join groups in your community. Invite a childhood friend to an activity, tell them to bring their friends and you’ll bring yours, and suddenly you’re making memories with mutuals of mutuals who turn from strangers to friends. Another is to rely on your town and join a preexisting group where you truly know no one, perhaps a run club.
Maybe this summer isn’t what you dreamed it would be. Maybe you aren’t sipping margaritas in Mexico or climbing mountains in Switzerland. That doesn’t mean your summer is any less feed worthy or filled with memories. What it does mean is this – your summer is a blank slate, and you’re left with endless opportunity to fill it as you please. So, start that business, do your stretches, question everything, and above all, make memories.
Add comment
Comments