The school year is almost over, and for most of us, that means heading home and working for the next three months. This is not the way to celebrate summer vacation.

Now it is important to have a job and save up money to help pay for school next year, but to spend all your time working is not the healthiest thing to do. Summer break is best used to have fun and relax.

These next three months have an endless amount of potential for fun times. Keep your mind open and you could have a break that will leave you recharged and ready to come back to school in the fall.

This is the time to stay up late for no reason whatsoever and sleep in late every morning. If you never see the morning sunlight all summer long, you’ve done a good job taking it easy.

This is also the time to get into shape. With all the extra free time you’ll have when you’re not working, there is very little to stop you from joining a gym (a 24-hour gym would be best). If working out in a gym is not your thing, how about joining a summer sports league? You could play baseball, basketball, football or even hockey. Anything to have that relaxing fun and get you out of your house. When August comes around, you should be in the best shape you’ll be in all year.

The best thing about summer is the freedom from homework. We don’t have to worry about tests, quizzes or projects. For a time there is not an essay or speech in sight. That leaves us with a lot more time on our hands than we are used to. Make the most of this and have some real fun.

Spend a day downtown wherever you live. In Chicago, visit the Navy Pier or walk around. If you’re in Detroit, catch a Tigers game or visit Greenfield Village. Even Cleveland has some fun spots to visit.

Take your significant other on a date and spend some real time with each other. Summer is great to help build a relationship and get to know each other better.

One of the best ideas for fun during the summer break is a road trip. Schedule it around work if you can; there are countless destinations to go to. You could take a group of friends to Cedar Point for a weekend, head out of state or maybe visit a famous landmark you always wanted to see.

Be creative and don’t get too lazy about the planning for your trip. Ideas like a baseball road trip can be fun and different from the normal summer life. A baseball road trip is simply a road trip to different major cities across the nation, catching a baseball game at each city you stop. You could do for a week or two and work would not even be in the back of your mind.

This is just one of a limitless supply of ideas you can try. Not only are trips like this good for relaxation, they are great for connecting with friends or loved ones. They bring people together and that is just as important as the trip itself.

Working is good and it is great to make your own money while going to school, don’t forget to have some fun and relaxation too. It helps you recharge, lets you unwind and brings you closer to your friends and family.

So enjoy the summer and don’t forget to enjoy yourself. There is plenty of time to work over the summer in the future, so have whatever fun you can now. Let yourself recharge and relax.

Unless, of course, you go to Cedar Point, in which case I seriously doubt you’ll get any relaxing feelings.

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