To be honest, sleep away camp was not enjoyable for me. I only went to sleep away camp for one year, and that was way enough for me. I guess I’m just the typical valley girl, but I really can’t stand being trapped in the middle of nowhere for weeks upon weeks, detached from electronics and frozen yogurt shops. I hate sleeping on bunk beds, and I hate the bugs that infested my camp. To be honest, the most memorable thing about camp for me was how many bug bites I got. I don’t even know the number I had, because there were too many to count. However, I decided to include camp as one of the ten best things about summer because I know that lots of people really enjoy camp—they all have their own camp songs, bunk names, and camp friends. Personally, I’ll never understand it, but maybe some people like an escape from technology and civilization.
2. Ice Cream Trucks
The scenario is the same every time. I’m sitting in the park when I hear the jingle of the truck, and hear the sound of its tires on cement. Frantically, I rush to my mom and ask her for money. Practically tearing open her purse and her wallet, she searches for a few singles while I watch anxiously as the truck inches closer to me. Finally, she finds money and places it in my hand. I rush over to the truck and order the same thing I do every single time—a rainbow popsicle.
3. The beach
I know that it may technically be a sound instead of an ocean, but I’m so glad that we have a beach in Westport. I definitely spend the majority of my summer at the beach, because it’s so close and convenient. Our beach is especially nice to hang out at, since we have fields, a basketball court, and a snack shop. The playground has to be my favorite thing about the beach, though.
4. The Fourth of July
I always look forward to summer because of the Fourth of July. I love the fireworks, the food, and the excuse to dress up in red, white, and blue. Hands down, one of the best fourth of July’s I’ve had was two years ago at my grandparents house. It doesn’t sound like it would’ve been very eventful, but it was a lot of fun. My entire family from all over the United States came. We spent the night watching fireworks from my grandparent’s pool, which was right on the beach, while stuffing ourselves with barbeque and s’mores.
5. Road Trips
During the summer, my family always goes to Martha’s Vineyard. While I love the Vineyard, my favorite part of going there is the journey. On the way there, our first stop is at Mystic Aquarium. It’s gotten less exciting since I first went there, but I still enjoy it. My favorite part of the trip is when we arrive in Cape Cod. Cape Cod has to be the cutest town ever, and it has such good restaurants and family businesses. I almost don’t want to hop onto the ferry once we’re in Cape Cod.
6. Tanning
I know it’s bad for me, but I do love to tan. I begin tanning a couple weeks before finals, because I’m more motivated to study while I’m outside. But the best time to tan has to be in the middle of July when it’s disgustingly hot. This is the prime time for tanning. Even better, when I get too hot tanning, I can just jump into the pool to cool off. However, while tanning, an important thing to remember is to use sunscreen, and to do it in moderation. You definitely do not want to end up as a lobster, and you most certainly do not want to have to deal with health complications and skin cancer.
7. Water Sports
I love every water sport, whether it’s water-skiing, wake boarding, or swimming—you name it. When I first learned to water-ski and to wake board, it wasn’t very enjoyable. The amount of tries that it took me to simply stand up on my water-skis were uncountable. However, once I mastered water-skiing and wake boarding, they’re my favorite things to do while boating. Watersports are a great way to be active without drowning in sweat because of the intense summer heat.
8. Sleeping Late
I may just be the average teenager, but I really appreciate getting a good amount of sleep. During the school year, tests pile up, along with project after project, and sleep becomes less of a priority. Trying to catch up on it over the weekend is difficult as well, because of extra-curricular activities and homework. But the summer is a great time to catch up on all the sleep that I missed, and maybe log in some excess hours as well.
9. Concerts
Summer concerts are the best concerts. There is nothing better than enjoying good music in the outdoors, preferably while sitting on a blanket and enjoying a picnic. My favorite concert that I’ve been to thus far was actually this May in Rumsey Playfield, which is in Central Park. The energy from the audience was unlike anything I’ve seen at other concerts, and I think that in part it was because of the fact that it was an outdoors concert. Everyone was free to let go, and we were able to be as loud as we wanted since it was outside. I’m sure that the residents in the nearby neighborhoods weren’t as pumped about the concert as we were, though.
10. Fireflies
When I was little, I remember thinking that fireflies were the coolest things ever. I hated all bugs, but fireflies were the exception. I was fascinated at the fact that they could light up. I especially loved to go looking for fireflies at my cousins’ house. My cousins had the biggest yard, and on summer nights, it was always swarmed with fireflies. I remember chasing all the way across the huge lawn just to confirm that the faint flash of yellow in the distance was indeed a firefly. Once I had filled up an entire glass jar of the crawlers, I would watch them light up for a little while, and then release them. Even to this day, I’ll admit, I still like to chase fireflies.
