It is summer. After weeks of slaving away, spending most of my days in the library in a desperate attempt to finish my university assignments, another school year has come to an end.
Although the weather in the Netherlands hasn’t exactly signalled summer these past few weeks, with the rain, wind, and cold it has seemed more like autumn than anything else, I have felt the tension thawing away, releasing me from its grasp. I have noticed it in others too. It is a sunny day today (finally), and as I’m strolling through the city, taking pleasure in my newfound deadline-free bliss, most people I encounter seem to share in my joy. The restaurant and café terraces are packed, the parks are buzzing with life, and I hear more laughter than I did before. Or, I’m simply more perceptible to these joyful scenes as the weight of exam season has finally been lifted off my shoulders, and I feel lighter on my feet. Either way, things are looking up from where I’m standing.
That being said, I can’t help but feel a sense of dread whenever summer rolls around again. Especially that first week post-exams seems like a cruel joke to me, because what am I supposed to do with myself? I always seem to fall into a pit, an abyss, of purposelessness and idleness. Only yesterday I was still caught up in a rigid routine of working from morning till night (the library had become like my second home), and now there’s nothing left for me to do. Just like that. It is a slight relief to know I’m not the only one who experiences this, as my friends have expressed a similar frustration with the dormancy that comes when exams are done and all assignments have been handed in. Basically, when you’re a student the start of summer brings the necessity of creating a new routine, to keep yourself busy somehow. And, this summer in particular, I have my hands full at this.
During the coming autumn semester I will be studying in the UK, which I’m really excited about, but it heavily influences my summer plans due to one thing: money. Studying abroad, especially in a country like the UK, is expensive and I have to limit my expenses as much as I can until then. That means postponing any travel adventures and spending my entire summer at home.
As I’m writing this, I realise it makes me sound like a spoiled brat if I try to make this sound like some kind of a sacrifice. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to even go abroad at all, let alone for an entire semester. Plus, I’ll be extending my education and gaining what will no doubt be a wonderful experience. In other words, spending my summer at home is actually a blessing.
So, these next few months I have the opportunity to fill my time in anyway I please. Talk about blessings, am I right? Although I will also be working, continuing at my part-time job, it is my plan to use the remaining days to have the best summer of my life. Sounds simple enough. How do I plan to achieve this? Let me tell you.
I consider myself lucky to be living in a city, and with an array of cafés, shops, and parks all in close proximity, it shouldn’t be too hard to think of something to do or find a place to go. On top of this, I am a major home-body and enjoy spending time alone, so even if I don’t leave my house it is unlikely for me to get bored. As some of you may know, I am an avid reader, and what better time to sit back and lose myself in a book for a few hours than during a hot summer’s day? Though I find reading at home to be pleasurable, I also enjoy taking a book to a café or lying down with it on a grassy field in the park. My TBR (To Be Read) pile for this summer is already stacked high, close to tipping over and stumbling off my desk, so I’ll be able to keep myself busy with those for the weeks to come. (If you’re curious to see what I’m reading, make sure to check my Instagram! @evaswarts) Some more of my favourite activities to pass the time include drawing, painting, and watching movies or television series, and I will undoubtedly gravitate towards those a lot during the summer days at home.
Another guaranteed way for me to keep myself busy is, of course, writing. It would feel like a wasted summer if I were to come out the other end of it without at least a handful of stories, poems, and blog posts. In fact, I already have a bunch of ideas in the back of my mind, including a series of entries on this blog about whatever might be on my mind during a particular week. Basically, I will be using this online space as my personal diary and anyone who’s interested is free to join me as I write my way through the pleasures (or hardships?) that this summer at home will have to offer.
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