I Wasted My Last High School Summer On a Boy and Totally Regret It
Summer is the season we look forward to all year long. Whether or not you like the hot weather, we can all agree that when school's out for summer, life is just better.
But before you dedicate your entire vacation to an S.O., read my cautionary tale of how I wasted my last real summer:
I had a longterm boyfriend all throughout high school. But before you sigh with envy, I totally regret sticking to one guy when high school should be all about making memories with friends. Believe me, once you can look back on your school experience, you'll see that no crush is as important as seeing your best friends every single day.
That's where my last high school summer story comes into play. It's easy to take your summers for granted because you've grown up with them. School means an inevitable summer waits like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. But those months-long vacations do, in fact, come to a close, my friends.
I know what you're thinking—spending the summer with a fling should be fun, right? Well technically it doesn't have to be all bad as long as you're enjoying your days with an even ratio of S.O. and friends. But in my case, a summer tied to my boyfriend meant spending the long warm days cooped up at his house while watching endless hours of Man vs. Wild reruns and video game marathons. It got a little monotonous.
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Every day I woke up around 10 a.m. (mornings have never been my buddy) and texted him before getting out of bed and brushing my teeth. My lovey-dovey good morning text always ended in the question, "What are you doing today?"
Inevitably he would just tell me to come over so I'd hop out of bed, get ready as quickly as I could, and drive over to his place by 11 a.m. Fast-forward to me driving back home around dinner time. Believe me, I could recount the weird thing Bear Grylls ate in season 3 episode 4 or our regular Dominoes lunch order… but it would probably bore you to sleep. That's how my entire summer went.
Throughout the day I'd get texts from friends saying they were hitting the beach or taking a trip to the science museum, and while all of this sounded way more fun, I felt like I needed to spend time with my guy. Even though my guy was glued to the latest video game and never even asked if I wanted to play.
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One of my biggest regrets is opting out of a joint summer job with my best friend. She decided to take a job as a counselor at a local camp that many people from my high school were also employed. Initially I thought the idea of working my summer away sounded like a nightmare, but they had a blast playing games, organizing events and hanging as a camp crew after hours.
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By the end of the summer all of my friends had suntans and snapshots with each other and new people they grew close to over the long days and warm nights. Not only had I wasted my last high school summer, but I'd also wasted my last bit of quality time with friends who would be moving away to different cities to attend different schools the following year. The worst part about it was knowing that I'd sacrificed time with lifelong friends for a boy who I'd break up with a few months later.
I can't really explain it, but at the time I thought I was where I wanted to be. Although every day came with the same boring promise, I felt inclined to hop into my car and race over to his house first thing. Looking back on it, I spent a lot of time putting him before myself. I knew that if I didn't hang with him, text him and call him, then I wouldn't see or hear from him at all. Can you say unhealthy relationship?
If I gained one piece of advice from my wasted summer, it was to do exactly what you want to do. If you want to hang with your BF all summer then do it—but make sure you're living it to the fullest. Whether the beach or the living room is calling your name, follow the voice that's telling you how you want to spend your time.
If you need more convincing, click HERE for a list of reasons why being single is the best thing ever.