Reaching the end of another year of high school is bittersweet. After this summer, you’ll get to open a new chapter of your life, with new memories and more life lessons — a chapter where you can explore your passions, develop your career skills and ambitions, and find like-minded people along the way. However, this also means another part of your life coming to an end. Although these may be crazy times, it is important to make the most of your summer experience. Spend time in your hometown —whether you’re leaving or not — with the people you love! Here are 10 ideas for all Vikings to do this summer..
- Stargaze: When the moon is waning and the stars are shining, head away from as much light pollution as you can to watch the stars. Bring blankets and cozy up as you lay back and map out the constellations. You could also hike up Mount Rainier to find the Milky Way.
- Have a photoshoot in your hometown: Meet up with friends/family and be a tourist in your own town. Take pictures of each other in front of local street art, cool buildings and scenic views.
- Plan a themed cooking night: Pick a theme — like a style of cuisine or try out a dish that you’ve seen in a movie — and divide up the meal so that everyone in the family makes a different course. Then sit down and enjoy the feast.
- Host a virtual sleepover: Although there have been changes in mask regulations by the CDC, you or your parents may not be comfortable with an in-person sleepover. However, we can still make the best of the situation. Have a virtual sleepover! Get snacks, watch a movie together, play games, and stay up as late as you want talking.
- Learn how to cook the basics: On your way to college? Even if you’re not going to college next year, you should really learn to make simple meals like eggs, pasta, and vegetables. You don’t want to be surviving off of ramen and mac and cheese during your entire college career… And, everyone needs a break from dining hall food. It’s always important to be prepared!
- Bury a time capsule: These are unique times we are living through. It is the perfect time to create a time capsule with your favorite photos, music, movies and foods and make sure to include some masks to remind you of this time too.
- Do something that scares you: Make yourself do something that you were afraid to do. It can be something as simple as holding a spider or as risky as bungee jumping. You don’t have to do something every single day, but you should try to do at least one thing that requires courage you haven’t been able to build up in the past. Also make sure to always be safe.
- Hike a nearby trail: Hikes in the summer sun are a great way to spend time outdoors. Hiking allows you to connect with nature in a fun and challenging way and is a great way to make more memories with your loved ones.
- Get your driver’s license (if you haven’t yet but are old enough): This will be useful especially for seniors, even if you’re going off to New York or another city with a lot of access to public transportation.
- Write a letter to your future self: Seal it and open it the summer after you graduate college to cherish the great memories of the previous chapter closing. You could also use this website to write your letters and have them emailed to you.
Songs of the Summer: Nordic’s picks for the perfect post-grad summer soundtrack
What if you could have the perfect summer playlist? Well, Nordic has made it easy and we have one waiting for you on Spotify! The tracklist includes songs that are perfect for daydreaming about your ideal post-pandemic road trip (perhaps along the Ventura Highway, or to North Carolina or Cornelia Street, New York). Hopefully, you’ll be Mr. Perfectly Fine to stay right here though, so whether the arrow is pointed at buying sunflowers to brighten up your home or at having a bonfire with your friends, this playlist is an incredible choice. You could tie-dye your favorite t-shirt or go for a hike on one of Washington’s beautiful trails. Listen to this playlist while laying out in the sun or having a picnic by the lake. We wish you the best of times this summer.
In our humble opinion, Nordic’s “Songs of the Summer” is just like magic: it’s fun and it’s relaxing. Go take a listen; we’ll love you for a long time!
P.S. We’ve included some of the song titles in this introduction! See if you can find them all. Hint: there are 14 song titles!
