Going to college in the city is all fun and games until you have to go home for the summer for four months to a tiny little town in Connecticut with what seems like nothing but trees and intertwining neighborhoods full of middle aged dads mowing their lawns and houses lined up side-by-side. Yup, I’m talking about suburbia. And it sucks. You need summer activities.
Although it’s quaint and seems to be a nice lull in the business of the city for about a week or two, it can become pretty mundane fairly quickly. My friends and I are constantly trying to find interesting things to do, since the only thing that really seems available is visiting the three different Dunkin’ Donuts establishments on each side of town.
Finding excitement in a pretty dull place can be especially difficult. Here are some things you can do to resist the temptation of binging Netflix all day, to avoid bickering with friends about what to do and to have a more fruitful summer in the lamest place in the entire world.
Obviously you can do this regardless of where you live, but it seems like your life can pile up around you in your room when there isn’t much to do outside of the house. Take a day or two to really root through your closet full of clothing you haven’t worn since middle school (and donate said clothing), make a few to do lists, go through old papers and knick knacks and CLEAN OUT. It’ll feel great to exist in a more breathable space. This is one of the most stress relieving summer activities.
A few friends and I visited our local craft store and purchased a couple of paint canvases, paint brushes and acrylic paint. We found a painting video online, a step-by-step tutorial for creating a 4×6 canvas painting of a sunset. We laid a sheet down in my friend’s basement, cracked open all of our artistic supplies and had ourselves a paint night! It was a super fun activity that we all enjoyed and were all able to take home our own canvas! Do this on rainy nights in. Definitely one of the best summer activities.
Unless you’re landlocked in suburbia, chances are you aren’t too far from the shoreline. Grab your best pals and load up the car; a trip to the beach can be revitalizing and relaxing! When you’re done with the sun, take some time to explore the beach town in and around it. This will definitely give you the much needed break away from the mundane. This is one of the most iconic summer activities.
If you look into it, so many places have tiny art museums waiting to be explored and discovered! Take some time to wander, contemplate and educate yourself on renaissance, dutch, impressionist and contemporary art in your art. You may surprise yourself with how much you’ll learn in that boring little town of yours.
This may seem simple and obvious, but so often we go OUT for dinner– we never take time to make a meal ourselves. Find a great recipe, get some ingredients at the grocery store, prepare it and devour it with your friends. Dress up and decorate the dining room table. Making food together creates such an incredible sense of community and can make for some really special memories in the kitchen.
Although most of us are ambitious and love to look forward, sometimes it’s fun to look back. Bust open those old high school yearbooks and baby pictures and laugh, cry and ‘awwww!’ together! It can keep you occupied for a few hours and remind you that the only way you can go is forward.
Every small town has a place where you feel like you can escape and just have a good time– a coffee shop, a diner, a park. Find this spot in your town and visit it regularly. Make this your sanctioned space for memory making and laughter. It will make a little piece of your town feel a little more special.
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