It’s summer; a time to kick back, relax, and lose track of the days of the week. The school year is beyond stressful, and summer just seems like the perfect two-and-a-half month time period to do absolutely nothing. I mean that’s what I thought…I planned days around my 12+ hour sleep schedule. But my idea changed when a few adults pointed something out to me: if you’re sleeping past 11 everyday, laying around and watching TV for 24 hours straight, you are wasting your summer.
There are so many opportunities to create a memorable and productive summer vacation. Teen travel programs make for great chances to meet new people and experience new places. Groups travel throughout the state, country, and even abroad, providing the chance to live in and experience new places. Some programs gear teens towards studying, while others focus on worldly community service projects or visiting tourist attractions. No matter the object of the trip, group teen tours are great ways to get out of the house, make new friends, and live life in a new place, even if only for a few weeks.
Many local shops and chain stores hire teens starting at age 16 and up, especially during the summer. Many day camps hire younger teens as assistant counselors for younger children, and seek out older teens as junior and senior counselors. Ice cream shops, smoothie stores, restaurants and local retail hire teenagers to work as servers and cashiers for the summer months. Getting a job is a great way to earn some pocket money, learn to work with others, and show responsibility.
Community service is also a great way to stay local, get up, and give back to the community. This could include organizing large projects or working with existing ones, such as volunteering in a hospital or working in an animal shelter. In addition, many companies offer service hours for unpaid interns.
With the chance to travel the world, or just simply earn some extra money and build a resume; the opportunity for a great summer is endless. So get up, get out of bed, and get started.