Xatal

Every year when you go back to school, everyone asks everyone else how their summer was. And it’s almost always the same: “pretty good… I didn’t do anything — it was too short…” It never fails.

As you get older, every summer goes by faster than the last one. For me, this one is flying by. I can’t believe it’s already late July, but it is.

Chances are you have a month or less left of summer, so now’s the time to start cramming in those fun things you wanted to do.

So here are some suggestions for having some summer fun before it’s too late:

First and foremost, get out of town. You spend most of your life in the same area, now’s the perfect time to leave. If your family isn’t up for taking a vacation, muster up some friends and go on a day trip. Stop spending your leftover money on fast food and local things — if everyone saves up, you can easily go somewhere. Some possible places include:

1. Camping. Camping rocks, plain and simple. Go with your friends of your gender, go with your significant other, go with everybody. Camping is a fun and cheap way to get out.
   

   Nothing tops roasting marshmallows around a campfire with the people you like most

2. Theme parks. If they’re in your area, going to a Six Flags or other similar amusement park is always fun. Hunt around for discounts, most of these places offer a lot to help entice people. Be warned — stuff at the parks are always expensive, so either bring your own necessities or bring a lot of money!
3. Water parks. Going on waterslides is always fun, especially if you live in a rather hot climate. Water parks are usually a bit cheaper than the large amusement parks too, which is nice if you’re on a budget.
4. See a movie in IMAX. IMAX theaters make seeing movies far more entertaining and thrilling. Be ready to pay a little more, but know that it’s worth it. The Dark Knight would be a great one to see.
5. Travel to a big city. The bigger, the better. And make sure it’s one that you rarely, if ever, go to. Walk around the downtown and check out all of those cool little shops or stop by some tourist sites.
6. See a concert. Check the websites for all of the bands you’re even a little bit interested in. See if there’s anything coming near you worth check out. A lot of the big summer festivals are worth it, even if only for the experience.

Whenever I would ask my friends what they did all summer, it was always the same story: “I just sat around.” A lot of people just sleep in late and laze around the house all day. That’s no fun. Most people are willing to do something, they just need a slight push.

So be the one to start something. Call up a few friends and see if they want to go bowling or see a movie. Even getting food can be pretty fun. Don’t try to make plans for a later day — do it that very day, otherwise it might not happen. Once you all are hanging out, you can go from there and find something else to do. Yes, it’s hot, yes that makes being outside miserable, but you can be miserable around someone.

Did you have any other goals over summer? Did you want to get in better shape, learn a musical instrument, maybe go to a few parties? Well get started on it! Make sure you plan to do it today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Once you start, it will be easier to get going and stick with it.

Don’t let this be another summer come and gone. By putting in the slightest bit of effort, it won’t be hard to make it your best summer yet.