Your Summer to-do List
Still from Claire’s Knee, 1970; edit by me
Well, we made it.
Summer is here. School is over. (Sigh of relief).
Summer, our favorite season, our beloved breath of fresh air, is simply put, the best. Finally, we don’t have to worry about school assignments or responsibilities. Finally, we can go to a concert on a Tuesday night without suffering the (tiring) consequences Wednesday morning at 7:00am. Finally, we’re free to have fun, to make memories, to be YOUNG.
On the other side of the spectrum, summer can get a bit boring… (Yes, I said it! Sorry!) As much as we despise school and responsibilities, without them, we can be at a loss for what to do. Sometimes we just need something to do. Because we only get 2-3 months of freedom, we have to soak them up and make the most of them. Fun with friends, a recharge for yourself, and freedom. Oh, did I mention FREEDOM?
Here are a few things you can do with your friends (and by yourself!) to keep yourselves busy and make the most of your summer. Embrace your youth and have some fun!
Redecorate your walls.
This is MY FAVORITE THING TO DO IN THE WORLD. My room is covered in stills from movies, pictures with friends, concert tickets, pins, and everything else in the phenomenal universe. Find things that make you happy and remind you of things you love. For the rest of the year, they’ll make you smile. Find a blank spot in your room, print some photos, and fire away!
3. Go on a film photo adventure with your friends.
Go to any convene store and buy a disposable camera. (They’re pretty cheap.) Drive around with your friends and find places to stop and take stupid photos. While taking them, you’ll have a ton of fun and make a lot of memories, and after you get them developed, you’ll have a record of it forever. The disposable camera will make your photos look all nostalgic, and you can put them on your wall or make a scrapbook or whatever. Bonus: find Photo Booths all around town and use those for your wall and book too! Have fun!
4. Throw a dinner party for your squad.
Ask your mom or dad if you can reserve the kitchen for the night, and invite your friends over to cook dinner. Go to the grocery store before and grab all the craziest things you can find. Make something really special and delicious (or Kraft Mac and Cheese, that’s always good too), and throw a fun dinner party with your decorations, music, food, and your friends.
5. Throw your own movie night.
(Try to find a movie projector or have all your friends pitch in to buy one.) Pick your favorite movie and set up a whole theater outside. You can hang a blank sheet anywhere and project it there. Order take out and invite all your friends over. Snuggle up, laugh, cry, and experience all the amazing emotions a movie can make you feel. Movie nights are the best nights.
6. Visit the antique mall or thrift store.
Ok, everyone’s all like “Go thrift shopping, look I found this amazing Gucci bag, blah, blah, blah”, but listen, I have never had a thrift experience like that. Maybe I’m really bad at it or maybe everyone is lying. BUT, I have had some of the best times running around the antique mall looking at the weird stuff they have in there. You may not find a Gucci belt (actually, you will not find a Gucci belt), but you’ll find all sorts of knick knacks—old postcards, records, scarves, tshirts, etc. Run around with your friends and see what you can find! (Bonus: bring your disposable camera and take funny photos with your friends:)
7. Make a list of all the songs you’d use in a movie.
This is one of my favorite pastimes. Next time you’re super bored and all your friends are busy, grab a scrapbook and try this: Go through all of your playlists and pick the songs you would use in a movie. Write them down with what scene they’d go with. Who knows, maybe one day this will come in handy when you’re a successful filmmaker.
8. Have a dare night with you friends.
This is something I’ve done with my group, and it is so.fun. Think of some random and why-not-embarassing things you could do, split into teams, and go crazy all over town. See who can finish the dares first, and make sure to have your friends video each one. It’s hilarious, fun, and will make you the sweetest of memories. Crash parties, humiliate yourself in stores, jump into as many pools possible, DO IT ALL. IT’S DARE NIGHT. To be taken very seriously.
9. Go bowling.
Does it sound dumb? Yes. Will it end up being the most fun you’ve had in weeks? Yes.
10. Find your dance party spot and use it.
Venture into your city and find the best dance party spot. Whether it’s the top of a parking garage, a huge open field, or a random park, blast your music and dance your heart out. Like every single day. It’s healthy.
11. Throw a karaoke party!
I’ve wanted to do this for so long. It might be a bit hard to get everyone to agree, but if they do, you’ll have so much fun. Either go to a karaoke place in town or create your own set up at home. Have everyone sing and dance to their song, while everyone else listens, laughs, eats, and laughs again (because you’ll most likely be very off pitch).
12. Read an entire book in a day.
Yes, be nerdy.
13. Make a film with your friends.
Grab your dad’s old camera, your phone, or any kind of videotaping device, and make a film! You don’t even have to have a script (or even a storyline), just go out and have with your friends, and film everything! Find the perfect song—super nostalgic, headbanger, indie, pop, whatever you choose—and have a movie premier with your friends. It’s super fun, and it’s a great way to capture some of your youthful memories for the future.
You might think you have all the time in the world to do these things, but summer will pass quickly. In my case, it’s the last summer of high school. Next summer, I’ll be ~alumni~ on my way to college, saying my last goodbyes. I want to live it up and have the best time. Youth is fleeting. Let me rephrase that: Youth is fleeting physically. There’s only so long to be young and dumb and living off your parents. Make the most of it! Do these stupid things and do a million more stupid things! It may seem pointless now, but one day you might look back and laugh at all the fun times you had. And may I just say, youth is fleeting physically, but it’s never too late to feel young. Summer is only so long, and physical youth wont last forever, but FOREVER YOUNG lives on and on and on and on.