Childhood summers were once defined by relaxation, with simple worries like a popsicle melting in the midday heat. Those feelings of pure, unhurried freedom don't have to stay in the past; they are waiting to be reclaimed in the here and now. This year, it’s time to stop watching the sunshine from behind a window and start creating the kind of memories that stay warm long after the first frost.
A typical summer’s day looks different for everyone. Some people are early risers, and some love to sleep in once school's out. Freshman Brett Gantt plans to relax this summer: “I’ll go to the gym, hang out with friends, do something fun and then sit at home, relaxing by a campfire.” While some enjoy going to the gym on summer days, some like to relax and tan. Junior Danica Curry states, “I grab something for breakfast, go sit down on my dock for a little bit and scroll on my phone. Later I go back up. I just hang out at my house for a little bit, then I go down and tan.”
Summer plans can be the best, waking up and knowing exactly what to do, but so is being a little spontaneous. “Over the summer, I know I'll have cheer open gyms, which will be for the next comp season, which I'm excited for,” says junior Natalie Noland. People like different things and make different plans for what they want to do over the summer. “I am going sightseeing, going on hikes, [taking] lake trips, beach trips, fishing, all the cool stuff,” says Gantt.
Just like making plans, people like to set goals for themselves all the time; some like to have summer goals. “I plan on getting really tan this summer and probably working out and doing a lot of organizing for the school year. But for the tanning, I'm going to plan to tan every day outside, down by my dock, and then stay in shape. I'm going to go on runs, I have a hiking trail in my neighborhood instead of in the suburbs,” Curry stated.
People love to go on vacation over the summer, and lots of people go to lots of different places, and it’s always fun. “I'm going to Seneca, South Carolina, for the lake.” Nolan states.
Summer isn’t just about vacations; it can be about so much more than that and so much simpler. A summer's day could be as simple as just waking up late and spending time with family and friends. Summer is what people make it, and some like it simple.
