Student Blog: Home for the Summer

As we are nearing the end of May, that means that summer break is here! No more having to wake up early, or worrying about deadlines, and it is a very much needed rest after a long semester. Moving back home after college for the summer can be a bit of an interesting adjustment. It’s hard going from being around your friends at school 24/7 to not at all. Also, depending on your summer plans, you might go from doing theatre every day, to not at all. You were just at school for 9 months and in a routine and now you're home, without having to be somewhere all the time. It can be an adjustment. So, you guys already know, I’ve made a little list of things I like to do to try and make the adjustment a bit easier.

Unpack.

I know, I know, this sounds tedious and a lot after spending a week trying to pack up your stuff out of your dorm/house, but it helps. The first day I was home, I spent 10 minutes trying to find clothes to wear once I got out of the shower. I always take a few days to rest and recoup from the trek home from school, but eventually I run out of clothes and have to unpack. I say this to you, while still fully having a tub in my room that I have yet to touch. My room is still a mess. But even just unpacking my clothes made me feel better. I felt more put together even by just unpacking one trash bag of clothes I had. Unpacking and putting things in their place can feel very nice on the brain and overall make life easier. So unpack. Even if it’s just one tote bag.

Spend time with some family or some friends from home.

I always make sure to make plans to spend time with my mom and my grandparents and other friends from home or high school. This way I can get those cozy at home vibes right off the bat. This helps me feel more at home right away and it's always nice to reconnect and debrief after a long semester. 

That being said, call and facetime your college friends.

Not a week goes by, where I don’t at least call my best friend from college or snapchat my friends from school. One of my close friends and I send each other video snapchats back and forth every day where we just talk about our days and give each other updates. You spend over half the year with these people. It is more than okay to miss them. It is ok to call them and talk to them. That’s the hard part about making friends at college, is leaving them. But I promise, you’ll pick up where you left off come fall semester.

Still stretch your theater brain and body

Something that I find helpful while at home, is still trying to do things for my career, even if I’m not in a show or in classes. Of course, I take time to let my body rest from the craziness that the last 3 weeks of the semester holds, but after a while my body starts to hurt. Going from two dance classes a day three times a week to not dancing at all isn’t the easiest adjustment, so, something I find useful is stretching a couple times a week. This keeps my body moving and helps to not lose the growth that I made over the past semester. Taking voice lessons over the summer or even just singing in your car for funzies is helpful as well and keeps you active in that sense as well. Do some fun creative things. Write a play. Go see a show.  Doing things like that can be helpful and keep you active in your career, especially if you aren’t booked for the summer. That being said…

It is okay to not be booked and blessed

If you do not have a summer contract..that is okay! Please do not be hard on yourself! I promise, you are going to have so many summers to do summer stock and all the things. Just because you did not book anything this summer does not mean that you are not successful, I promise. You can still do theater over the summer. Do some community theater or teach at a local children's theater or camp. I’m blessed enough to have a local outdoor community theater that I get to do theatre at each summer and I love it. I love doing outdoor theatre. It is so fun. So please, do not let an unbooked summer get you down. I promise that you are still enough and that you are doing great.

Do the things you can’t do when you’re at school.

Go to that coffee shop in your hometown with the perfect lattes. Have a sleepover with your hometown bestie. Sing karaoke with your cousins that only come around every once in a while. Go see some community theater. Watch Gilmore Girls with your mom. Do all the things you love to do but can’t when you’re away at school.

These are some things that help me re-adjust to being back home again after being away for so long. I love being home. It’s nice to come back after being gone for so long. Please, enjoy your summer. Have fun, relax, and as always, go do great things!

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