Written by: Jessica Parsons

The summer sun, the cool and refreshing ocean water, the long hours of daylight spent sipping on lemonade; this is what summer break promises. We spend all spring gearing up in anticipation for the days of fun ahead and planning for all the things we will get done over the sunny months. I, for one, got so much done this summer, I . . .

. . . finally got that summer bod. My skin is so burnt from falling asleep on the beach and I’m  so full and bloated from ice cream sundaes that I can’t go into the grocery produce section without being mistaken for a tomato. No, Sandra, I am not a mascot for the supermarket here to give you a discount on your Roma tomatoes.

. . . had the time to do that marathon. I can proudly say that I am now up to date on all of my shows. Yes, Netflix, I am still watching!

. . . hiked up a mountain. Great views, beautiful scenery . . . the fear of my lungs giving out at any moment weighing on me heavier than the 35-degree heat. Probably shouldn’t have eaten all that pizza and those chips during my Netflix binge . . .

. . . went on a road trip! Sitting in a hot car in the dreaded middle seat, getting lost and having to ask directions from a stranger in the middle of nowhere, spending so much time with other people you are pretty sure you never want to see again . . . nothing could be better.

. . . lazed on the beach. Sand in my eyes, sand rubbed into my skin via sunscreen, sand in my ears and hair, and places I don’t even want to get into. It’s been months since I went to the beach and every now and then I find myself crunching down on those little particle bastards.

. . . worked. Because being an adult apparently means spending all day in a freezing cold office filled with AC pumped too high, and then trying to hang out with friends afterward only to find their work schedules don’t line up with yours.

So I definitely got a lot done this summer! And all the awfulness of sweating on transit seats, getting minor heat exhaustion from trying to walk to the 7-Eleven for a Big Gulp, and getting sunscreen in your eyes so often you’re pretty sure every time that this is the time you’ll be blinded almost makes September a relief. Heavy emphasis on the almost.