By Vihansa Samarakkody
A season of youth, activity, celebration and revolution: summer – spanning the months of June through to September, is the scale most use to measure the span of our lives, our years on Earth given value solely by the number of summer times we’ve revelled in. In the UK, it is becoming apparent that the so-called ‘dog days’ are flourishing with even greater ambition, evidenced by the longer, hotter heatwaves and the rise of barbecue smoke striking your sinuses as you step outside; a sure-fire way of knowing that a British summer is under way.
Since the mid-twentieth century, international trips abroad have played a key part in the perfect summer holidays, with UK residents taking an estimated 71.8 million trips overseas in 2022. In recent years, however, it has been found that over 15% of Brits have had to scrap their travel plans in light of the ill-famed cost of living crisis, which has no doubt pressured many households with the tricky decision to cut their annual voyage. This article aims to address the relentless boredom that faces countless youths across Britain, as we’re faced with those lingering 6 weeks, homeward bound.
- Set objectives
Setting Goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation, we all have that one bucket-list activity or skill that we’ve been holding off for the excuse that we ‘don’t have the time’, so with a cleared schedule and 1,008 hours of free time, turn your bucket-list into a to-do list and become the person you’ve always wanted to be. Whether that be through training to run a marathon or trying your hand at white water rafting, accomplish feats that you didn’t think you were capable of.
Set goals are also beneficial in being physical reminders of what you want out of your time, and the more prominent these goals are in your life, the likelier you are to be motivated to achieve them.
In this age, it is easy to become distracted and lose sight of your end goal, so be warned to stay driven, and use these 6 weeks as your raft to success.
- Become a jack of all trades
“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”, though it is not advisable to wear yourself thin during the holidays, it is certainly the time to be exploring your skills and talents, what your passions are and spending all of your time developing them, some ideas may include:
- Starting a passion project
- Becoming proficient at Chess
- Culinary skills
- Graphic design
Through your newly acquired skills, you’ll find that ‘Summer magic’ can also be caught by doing the things that you love most, without the pressures of having to be outstanding at them. Not only does having multiple skills and hobbies open you up to more opportunities, it allows you to find amusement doing almost anything, with such a wide range of pastimes that it becomes tiring never getting bored.
- When in doubt, walk it out
Much of the time, we are so distracted by the allure of natural beauty in our dream holiday destinations, that we fail to see the beauty that surrounds us each and every day, so check out your nearest mountain range or hiking trail and appreciate your local biome.
‘Summer magic’ is not, in fact, the country you’re in, but the people you’re with and the stories you create as the time passes. We allude ourselves that a foreign environment will prove good to us, but it remains futile in the absence of good company, and true appreciation of the natural world.
“Those who find beauty in all of nature will find themselves at one with the secrets of life itself”
-L Wolfe Gilbert (composer, songwriter)
Following those wise words, you are urged to make the most of this summer, and whether you are homebound or Bali-bound, don’t let your holidays fall short of magical!
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