How to Rock Your Summer

Hi! Today, I'm going to be telling you tips on how to rock your summer so you won't regret it. .

1. Some memories are best being free, but some just need to be captured.  Some advice magazines and books tell you to not take pictures on vacation.  I completely understand what those people are getting at, they're saying to live in the moment. But I have to kind of disagree, and kind of stand in the middle. You really should live in the moment, that's actually my words to live by. I went to stay-away camp last year and we stayed in tents. It was rustic and fabulous. I remember every detail yet I didn't take any pictures (I didn't have a phone then and I didn't get my camera yet). That was the most spectacular week of my life where I met awesome people who all got along and now we all know each other. Only we know those camp memories of pranking each other, watching shooting stars and jumping off of enormous rocks in Devil's lake (in Wisconsin). But, I do think that some days when you need a mental boost, sometimes pictures might help more than a memory. Judge the situation as it comes.
2. Make every day count. Summer is only 'summer' for a limited time only. Make every day count! No matter how many 'I'm busy' or 'I'm going to my cousin's birthday party' or 'I'm leaving for camp tomorrow and I need to pack', keep calling every friend you have to get together. If not, call a cousin to hang out. And if literally no one is available, bike over to the nearest Starbucks, buy a drink and enjoy. For extra fun, try giving a fake foreign name that they'll have trouble pronouncing. Just remember that name so you don't forget your drink! :)
3. Be a yes girl. As long as it's 100% safe (such as ziplining) don't be afraid to say yes. Be daring! Try new activities and programs and be brave. (But also be a no girl. If a friend wants you to do something that you know isn't safe, such as climbing up and jumping down from a HUGE tree, make sure to say no. Don't do anything that you know isn't safe or that your parents wouldn't let you do.)
4. Be responsible. Summer gives us many freedoms. Your parents might let you bike to the park half a mile away with your friends and then stop at a bakery for a snack. You earned your parents trust for a reason. Keep it. Be responsible, don't do anything thing stupid and be smart. 
5. Challenge yourself! Try to go to 10 parks in your city in two weeks. Try to not eat junk food for three weeks (then treat yourself by biking to Starbucks or a local bakery to get a tiny treat/frappuccino/Refresher). Try to get together with a different friend every day for five days. Teach your dog ten new tricks over the summer. Join two new activities. Don't fight with your sibling for two weeks (and if they start the fights, they have to give you fifty cents!) Save all your allowance for a month and see how much you get. ADVENTURE EVERY DAY! Make this summer a "Challenge Summer!" 

Enjoy!
Love, 

Lili <3