We can already feel the heat touching our skin. Enough about exams, homework, teachers, blah blah blah. We’re REACHING for summer now. One goal we both have this summer is to hit the beach at LEAST once a week.
What are your plans for this summer? Are you going on vacation? Visiting a new island, swimming with sharks? Going to Alaska? Working?
Christian Mercado, a senior at Taft, said, “I’m going to Puerto Rico this summer to visit my family and have some fun in the sun,” after being asked what his plans are. “The thing I’m most excited for is seeing the North star that marks where Jesus was born because you’re not able to see it in Chicago.”
Traveling is becoming more and more expensive as each summer passes by. That’s why seniors like Katriana Kuka have been saving up for months to fulfill their vacation plans. “Hawaii has been on my mind since the winter, everyday I’ve been sending money for that trip. I’m so excited,” said Kuka.
I know almost every senior is going to try and get as many hours as they can, especially with college coming up, college isn’t cheap. But again, enough about college. Let’s dive deeper about Taft’s seniors’ summer plans.
Every student’s plan is different, but one thing most students have in common is completing at least one goal before the summer’s end. Ending high school marks the beginning of a new chapter which people take advantage of to the max. This is the time you want to go out and adventure; just make the most of summer before freshman year.
“One of my goals for this summer is to bounce back, no questions asked,” said Mercado. Improvement is something everyone should strive for this summer. As seniors, we should focus on creating a version of ourselves that is mature but still true to us. This preparation for the real world makes us stand out as adult individuals.
Growing up is a scary thing that individuals don’t like admitting. It is perfectly normal to feel that way. As long as you maintain your position and focus on your plan leading to an ultimate goal, it is okay to take a day off and do something exciting. Just make sure there is balance in your actions.
If you could visit one place in the world right now, where would you go? Why? We both would take a cruise to the Bahamas. Maybe even Bora Bora.
Tanaia Vasquez, a senior at Taft, said, “I’ve always wanted to visit Jamaica to experience a country so full of culture, it’s so beautiful and authentic.”
Listen, even if you don’t have some extravagant summer vacation planned and an easy way out of Chicago this year, still make the best of this summer before reality hits us all real hard. Go outside, get some sun. Don’t sit in your room sobbing about what everyone else is doing, go out and do it your own way.
