For most of us students, summer can never seem to come fast enough. After a whole year of locking in, procrastinating on exams (and hopefully passing them) and living off of food from the dining halls, we want nothing more than to be free from the shackles of college life. But even after the year ends, some of us don’t really have much to look forward to. Maybe you’re stuck with summer classes, or a boring job that pays you too little. You want out, but certain circumstances don’t allow it. Despite it all, it’s still possible to have a fun, eventful summer. Here are a few things you can do that’s sure to guarantee you a restful yet fulfilling break!
Café hopping
A bit of a pricey endeavor but fun nonetheless! With a friend or family member, try and tackle all the local cafés in your area and see how many you can visit before the day ends. Although it’s customary to purchase at least one item at each location, make sure you don’t overdose on caffeine. I recommend you and your group buy just one or two drinks at a time to save both your wallets and your stomachs. Take some aesthetic pictures for the Instagram, yap with whoever you came with or just spend the time reading a book. If you’re going to do the latter, make sure to order matcha and listen to Laufey on your wired earbuds.
This activity is not just limited to coffee shops, but animal cafés as well! Cat cafés are becoming more popular in the U.S., and there are coffee shops solely dedicated to dog owners. Consider checking them out if you want to pass the day with one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other petting a furry face.
Local vendor markets
Support your local small businesses while having fun at the same time. There’s bound to be a night market or farmer’s market near you. These markets are full of small vendors looking to sell fresh produce, homemade food or cute knick-knacks. Walk around from stall to stall with either the intent to purely window shop, or to cop a goodie or two. Some of my favorite purchases from night markets include pork belly skewers and my treasured crocheted capybara keychain!
It’s also nice to just talk with these vendors, as many of them come from a variety of different backgrounds. A lot of these markets also act as mini festivals and you might get to see fun performances from indie bands!
Volunteer
Maybe you want to spend the summer doing something a bit more meaningful. Volunteering is a great way to do that, as you get to help those in need. If you have trouble finding volunteering opportunities, go to your local county’s government website! Most governments are often understaffed and in need of help. A key tip is to volunteer in programs you’re actually interested in; otherwise, you may get bored and find the work uneventful.
Binge cringe TV shows and movies
Perhaps the most painful way to spend summer this year. Treat this activity as the ultimate try-not-to-cringe challenge. Gather around your friends, set up Netflix, prepare a snack medley full of popcorn and M&Ms and binge-watch some cringe shows and movies that are only watchable with a group. Prepare to cover your eyes, throw your popcorn at the TV and to scream your lungs out at the atrocities that are mauling your vision. Some recommendations I have are “XO Kitty” and the “Twilight” movie series. A strong contender is the “Bee Movie.”
If you want to challenge yourself even further, hide the remote during this marathon to ensure you watch each and every scene! Just a warning: at the end of all this, you may have many regrets.
So those are just a few things you can do this summer if you have no plans to travel! It’s important to have fun, but also rest up while you can, because before you know it, it’s fall quarter.
